SIAYA, Kenya – At least five female artisanal miners were killed on Monday afternoon after a gold mine collapsed at the Lumba mining site in North Ramba, Rarieda sub-county, Siaya County.
One woman remains missing, with rescue efforts continuing into Tuesday.
According to police reports, the tragedy struck at around 3:00 p.m. when a group of six women entered a tunnel in search of gold.
The mining shaft suddenly caved in, burying them alive. Local residents rushed to the scene and managed to retrieve five bodies hours later.
Siaya County Police Commander Serah Koki confirmed the incident, stating that multi-agency teams had been deployed to aid in the search for the missing miner.
However, officials fear she may not have survived.
Growing Safety Concerns in Artisanal Mining
This latest disaster comes just a week after three other artisanal miners lost their lives in a similar incident in Rera village, Gem Wagai sub-county.
The frequent mine collapses have sparked concerns over the safety of small-scale mining operations in the region.
Despite repeated warnings from authorities, hundreds of miners—many of them women—continue to risk their lives in unstable mining tunnels.
Artisanal miners often work in unsafe conditions with little to no protective gear, driven by economic desperation.
Government officials have long raised concerns over the lack of regulation in gold mining activities in counties such as Siaya, Migori, Kakamega, and Taita Taveta.
They have warned that unregulated excavation, including the use of heavy machinery, weakens the tunnels, increasing the risk of collapses.
In response to recurring tragedies, authorities have urged miners to halt operations and comply with environmental impact assessments conducted by the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA).
Officials have also called for stricter licensing requirements and safety measures at mining sites.
However, miners argue that gold extraction is their primary source of livelihood, often defying government directives—especially during the rainy season, when the risk of tunnel collapses is highest.
With yet another fatal accident, pressure is mounting on authorities to enforce stronger safety regulations and prevent further loss of lives in artisanal mining communities.
