SOURCE: BBC NEWS
Four miners are trapped in a rubble after a gold mine collapsed in western Kenya.
The incident in Kakamega county happened in the short hours of Thursday and initially saw 12 artisanal workers trapped for hours.
Eight of them were rescued by the morning, following hours of digging by community members and they are said to be in stable condition.
The miners were operating at an aged mining tunnel and were unlicensed by the local government, according to the authorities.
“What they are doing is risking their lives and most of the people here are mostly youth who are doing this work. Due to the unemployment problem, people are putting their hands on anything that can put food on their table,” Kakamega county commissioner John Ondego said.
He added that mining at night time will no longer be allowed.
Incidents of collapsed mines are rampant in parts of western Kenya.
In 2021, gold mining company Shanta Gold reported a discovery of huge deposits of gold in the region.
