Migori gold site claims four miners

MIGORI, KENYA: Death has revisited the Macalder gold mines in Migori County, claiming four more lives and bringing to 10, the number of those killed in the deadly Nyatike mines this year.

The miners died on Friday evening while two others escaped with serious injuries after walls of a tunnel caved in at Macalder, Nyatike Sub-County.

Migori County Police Commander Joseph Nthenge confirmed the tragedy, saying the four miners aged between 22 and 48 years were buried alive by huge boulders.

The bodies have been retrieved from the rubble after an intensive search by colleagues.

Mr.  Nthenga identified the four as Otieno Morris Ongona (48 years), Ochele Akili (44 years), Kennedy Otieno Obatha (33 years) and David Odhiambo (22 years).

“The six miners were on their normal duty when a big boulder fell on them.  Four died on the spot  while two escaped with injuries,"  said  Mr Nthenge.

The tragedy comes just one week after the Cabinet Minister of Mining and petroleum (CS) John  Munyes expressed concern over the safety of mines in Migori County.

Speaking in Migori last week, Mr  Munyes gave  the copper and Gold miners in Migori County up to the end of January 2019 to comply with mining licenses regulations or be evicted from mining sites.

Munyes said the government wants to improve the lives of miners and their dependents through enforcing licenses as a move to ensure safe practices.

Migori has had the highest number of deaths in mining pits in the country.

On May 5, this year six copper miners died after they were buried alive in one of the caves following heavy rain. It took nearly 48 hours to recover their bodies.