One person has been killed and two others remain trapped after several gold mines collapsed in Namang’oro, Lomeguro, in Turkana County. The incident has once again drawn attention to the dangers faced by artisanal miners working in the area.
According to reports, the collapses occurred in the mining site where local diggers have long sought gold in underground pits and shafts. Rescue teams and community members moved quickly to the scene after the ground gave way. One miner lost his life in the accident, while efforts continue to reach the two still buried under the rubble. Their condition is not yet known.
Gold mining has become an important source of income for many families in Turkana, a region where formal jobs are scarce and drought often makes farming difficult. In places like Lomeguro, men and sometimes women dig deep into the earth using basic tools, hoping to find enough gold to support their households.
Yet these operations often take place without proper supports, safety gear or official oversight. Shafts can be unstable, and the soil in the arid landscape is prone to sudden collapse after heavy rains or simply from the weight of continuous digging.
Local residents say such tragedies have happened before in the same area. Mines have been shut down at times following fatal accidents, only for activity to resume later when economic pressure returns.
County officials have previously stressed the need for safer practices and better regulation, but enforcement remains a challenge in remote sites. Miners themselves often work under difficult conditions, driven by the need to earn a living despite the clear risks.
Rescue work in these situations is rarely straightforward. The ground can shift again, making it dangerous for responders to dig. Local knowledge of the tunnels is usually relied upon, alongside any available machinery. Families of the trapped miners wait anxiously nearby, hoping for good news while mourning the person already confirmed dead.
Authorities are expected to examine the site and review what led to the collapses. Questions about licensing, safety standards and the long-term management of artisanal mining in Turkana are likely to resurface.
For the community in Namang’oro and surrounding villages, the immediate focus remains on recovering the two people still underground and supporting the bereaved family.
While mining offers a rare chance at income, the lack of secure working conditions continues to put lives at risk.
