A gold mine collapsed in Imachilifu Village, Shinyalu Constituency, Kakamega County, on Monday evening, trapping at least 19 persons.
After digging for a long time, community members quickly rescued roughly eight miners during the tragedy and took them to the hospital.
Fredrick Lusuli, a Shinyalu member of parliament, verified the incident by stating that everyone who were pulled from the collapsed gold mine had been taken to the hospital as soon as they showed signs of weakness.
Additionally, Lusuli revealed that he spoke with Fernandes Barasa, the governor of Kakamega County, regarding the event, and the governor promised to mobilize additional resources for the rescue effort.
Lusuli expressed sadness for the disaster but urged residents, particularly the victims’ relatives, to be patient while life-saving efforts grew more intense.
Officers from the Kenya Red Cross Society and the Kakamega County Disaster Response team were part of the multi-agency team that was sent to the scene shortly after.
In the meanwhile, gold mine collapses have been common, especially in Western Kenya. In August of last year, a gold mine collapsed in Kakamega County, resulting in the burial of four persons alive.
The miners were working at an old mining tunnel and without a county government license, according to Kakamega County Commissioner John Ondego.
Ondego proceeded to declare that all mining operations in the county would be prohibited at night, and he warned that those found guilty of breaking the decree would face harsh consequences.
