Rescue operations are in full swing in Kambi Karaya, West Pokot County, after a gold mine collapsed, trapping several artisanal miners underground.
The distress call came in at around 5:30 p.m., with police confirming that one woman has already been found dead. The search continues for others who are still missing beneath the rubble.
“An unknown number of prospectors are feared buried alive,” the National Police Service said in a statement, adding that teams from the Kenya Defence Forces and the Kenya Red Cross have joined efforts on the ground to locate survivors.
This latest incident hits close to home barely ten days ago, a similar tragedy struck Karon village in the Turkwel area, claiming the lives of four miners after a pit caved in during the early hours of the morning.
These back-to-back tragedies have reignited urgent conversations about the risks surrounding artisanal mining. Many in the community now question how many more lives must be lost before safety becomes a priority in these informal mining zones.
Despite the dangers, artisanal mining remains a livelihood for many in West Pokot. But as families wait anxiously for news, the call for tighter oversight and better safety protocols grows louder. Lives are being lost not just to the earth, but to neglect.
