Two women died after ground collapsed at a gold-mining site in Osiri-Matanda, Nyatike Sub-County, in western Kenya’s Migori County. Police identified them as Phylis Awino, 33, and Millicent Atieno, 34. The shaft collapsed on Friday morning while the women were underground.
Their bodies were recovered on Saturday, September 26, in a joint operation by national and county authorities. They were taken to the Migori County Referral Hospital mortuary pending post-mortem examinations. Authorities are continuing to assess how the collapse occurred.
The site attracts numerous miners working with limited oversight. According to the report, tunnels are dug even beneath residential areas and sometimes left unsupported, creating risks of further collapses. Police say at least four people die each week at gold-mining sites across Kenya, citing inadequate safety measures among the causes.
Police are also investigating the separate death of 35-year-old Zachary Okeyo Odhiambo after a dispute at a gold-mining site in Siaya County on September 20. Preliminary accounts say a fellow worker allegedly struck him; police are pursuing the suspect. Source: The Star.