Detectives are investigating a fatal workplace incident after a quarry worker was hit and killed by a falling rock in Ithanga/Kakuzi Sub-County, Murang’a County.
According to the police, the incident happened on Tuesday afternoon at the Salvation Army quarry.
Police visited the scene and established that a 26-year-old man, identified as Maurice Gitonga from Embu County, was struck on the head by a large rock that descended from a cliff.
Preliminary findings also indicate that a machine shovel operating at the top of the quarry had dislodged the rock while leveling the area.
The rock rolled down the cliff and hit the deceased, who was standing next to a lorry, killing him instantly.
The body was moved to General Kago Mortuary for preservation pending a post-mortem examination.
Authorities have launched investigations into the incident, with a focus on safety compliance at the quarry.
Elsewhere, police in Muhoroni Sub-County, Kisumu County, are investigating a drowning incident. This was after a 45-year-old man was found dead in a water pan in Nyang’oma Location.
The incident was reported on Tuesday, police said. They also added that the deceased, identified as Maurice Ochieng Osewe, was known to have epilepsy.
He was seen entering the Nyandeu water pan by children playing nearby but did not re-emerge.
Concerned residents, led by his younger brother Samson Osewe, launched a search and later retrieved his body from the water.
Police officers from Ngere Police Post, accompanied by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Muhoroni, visited the scene. Preliminary examination revealed no visible physical injuries on the body.
The body was moved to Othoo Funeral Home, where it awaits a post-mortem examination.
Investigations into the incident are ongoing.
Police say cases of drowning have been on the rise, even as efforts are being made to address the same. In particular, the incidents have been linked to flooding that has been caused by heavy rains being experienced in different parts of the country.
