A 56-year-old man died after reportedly falling into a borehole while carrying out excavation work in Rachuonyo South Sub-County, Homa Bay County.
The deceased, identified as Wilfred Onyiego from Rera Village in Kisii County, had been contracted to deepen a 20-foot borehole at Nyabola Village in Konuong’a Location.
According to police, the borehole owner left for Homa Bay Town on July 15 after assigning Onyiego the task and returned later that night without inspecting the site.
On the afternoon of July 16, the owner became suspicious after spotting a shirt believed to belong to the worker hanging on a nearby banana tree. Upon checking the borehole, he discovered Onyiego’s body inside and alerted police.
Police visited the scene and established that the rope Onyiego had used to descend into the borehole had snapped, causing him to fall into the water-filled shaft and drown.
The scene was documented before the body, which had no visible external injuries, was retrieved and taken to Rachuonyo County Hospital Mortuary pending a post-mortem examination.
Police have launched investigations into the incident, which is being treated as an accidental drowning.
And a 22-year-old miner died after collapsing while working inside a mine in Kehancha Township, Kuria West Sub-County, Migori County.
The deceased, identified as Evans Isaboke Videlis, also known as Babu Mwita, was working in a mine owned by Moi Mosabi when the incident occurred at around 9 a.m. on Thursday.
Police officers visited and processed the scene. Preliminary investigations indicate that the deceased collapsed inside the mine, with investigators suspecting inadequate oxygen supply as the likely cause.
The body was moved to Kehancha Sub-County Hospital Mortuary, where it awaits a post-mortem examination as investigations into the incident continue.
Such incidents have been on the rise in the area as officials run a campaign to address the menace. Officials want the owners of the mining sites to ensure safety of the miners.
