ISIOLO, Kenya — Officials and local media confirmed five fatalities from the collapsed gold mine in northern Kenya. Additionally, several individuals were reported missing.
Regional commissioner Paul Rotich reported recovering five miners’ bodies from the Hillo artisanal mine, with three individuals still unaccounted for.
“Reports from rescuers, police and our chiefs suggest at (least) eight casual miners were inside the mining ground when the walls collapsed and buried them alive,” Rotich said
Two injured miners were taken to a hospital, Kenyan broadcaster NTV reported on Saturday morning.
“The place caved in because of the rains,” Marsabit county commissioner David Saruni told NTV.
Hundreds of people have been killed in floods and landslides across the country following weeks of torrential rains.
Despite the mine’s closure in March due to fatal clashes, mining activities persisted near the Ethiopian border, reported Citizen TV.
In the wake of the Kenya gold mine collapse, efforts are underway to support the affected families and prevent future tragedies.
Furthermore, there is a growing recognition of the need to address the underlying socioeconomic factors driving informal mining activities. As Kenya mourns the loss of lives, there is a collective commitment to turning this tragedy into an opportunity for positive change in the mining sector.
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