A Tanzanian national died after a mining shaft collapsed in Mikei Location, Nyatike Sub-County, Migori County.
The incident was reported on Tuesday, October 6.
Police officers who visited the scene found the body of the deceased, identified as Ernest Benard Bwana, which had already been retrieved from the collapsed shaft.
Preliminary investigations established that nine miners were working inside the shaft when it suddenly collapsed.
Bwana was the only miner injured in the incident. The other eight miners managed to escape unharmed.
The scene was processed by police officers, while Bwana’s body, which had visible injuries, was moved to Migori County Referral Hospital mortuary pending a postmortem examination.
This is the latest such incident to happen at gold mining site amid efforts to ensure safety of workers.
Dozens of workers have been killed at the sites in the past days, official statistics show. They venture into the tunnels without safety precautions exposing themselves to dangers.
The government has been running campaigns to address the menace.
Last week, a similar incident happened in a shaft in West Pokot which left five people dead.
The bodies were later moved to the mortuary pending autopsy and other procedures.
The deaths don’t seem to deter other miners from venturing into the shafts.
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