Five miners have been confirmed dead following the collapse of a section of the Kilimapesa gold mining site in Trans Mara South, Narok County, in a tragic incident that has once again raised concerns over safety standards in Kenya’s mining sector.
The collapse occurred on Wednesday morning when a wall inside the Mdomo ya Ng’ombe mining tunnel caved in while miners were extracting gold.
Authorities said the five victims were buried beneath the debris, while the exact number of miners who had been inside the tunnel at the time of the collapse remains unknown. This has prompted fears that more people could still be trapped underground.
Narok County Police Commander Patrick Lobolia confirmed the fatalities, saying a multi-agency team comprising police officers, disaster response personnel and mining experts was deployed to the scene.
Rescue efforts have continued, although officials acknowledged that the operation has been slowed by the lack of specialised underground rescue equipment and cameras needed to safely navigate the collapsed tunnel.
Police have since sealed off the mining site to allow investigators and mine safety experts to assess the stability of the remaining tunnels before any further excavation or rescue work is undertaken.
Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) are also investigating the cause of the collapse.
The bodies of the deceased were moved to the Kuria West Sub-County Hospital Mortuary in Kehancha, where they await identification and post-mortem examinations.
The tragedy has renewed calls for stricter enforcement of safety regulations in Kenya’s artisanal mining sector, where fatal accidents have become increasingly common.
Earlier this year, two miners also lost their lives in a separate tunnel collapse within the same gold-rich Lolgorian area, highlighting the persistent dangers faced by miners working in the region.
Authorities have maintained that mining activities at the affected site will remain suspended until investigations are completed and the area is declared safe.
