A tragic incident occurred in Ndori, Rarieda, Siaya County, where a female miner, Jackline Okola, was killed when the walls of a gold mining site collapsed. The incident took place on Wednesday afternoon while she was working at the site. Despite the efforts of five other miners who managed to escape with minor injuries and attempted to rescue her, they were unsuccessful.
The collapse happened in the North Ramba sub-location, approximately 200 feet into the tunnel. Police reported that her body was recovered later and taken to Lwak Mission Hospital Mortuary for an autopsy, revealing bruises on her face and a swollen right knee.
This incident is part of a worrying trend in the area, as it follows a similar accident months earlier in Manyatta village, Vihiga, where at least three miners died due to a tunnel collapse. The risks associated with artisanal mining are significant, especially as many miners operate without protective gear and venture into unsafe tunnels.
Authorities have consistently warned that the tunnels where these miners work are dangerous and that the use of heavy machinery, such as stone crushers, exacerbates the risks by weakening the structure of the tunnels. In response to these ongoing safety concerns, government officials have directed miners to halt their operations until the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) conducts an environmental impact assessment.
As part of a broader strategy to enhance safety and regulation in the mining sector, officials have instructed miners to obtain the necessary licenses from relevant authorities and to refrain from using heavy machinery that compromises the stability of the mining sites. Plans are underway to implement stricter regulations to ensure the safety of miners and mitigate the environmental impact of their activities.
