In a heart-wrenching incident, a couple in West Pokot County is believed to have met a tragic end after a gold mine they were working in collapsed, burying them beneath the rubble. The incident occurred on Tuesday evening at Kambi Karaya, near Lami Nyeusi in the Pokot Central Sub County.
As of Wednesday morning, the rescue mission remains ongoing, but hopes of finding the couple alive are fading. Benjamin Lotudo, the Assistant Chief of Sarmach Sub Location, disclosed that the man, aged 31, and his 28-year-old wife were both still trapped within the mine. Despite concerted efforts to free them, their precarious situation persists.
Confirming the incident, West Pokot County Police Commander Peter Kattam revealed that the couple had been engaged in gold mining before the catastrophic event unfolded. He noted that they were trapped deep within the debris.
Efforts to rescue the trapped individuals have proved difficult due to the need for specialized machinery to facilitate the operation. Kattam emphasized the perilous nature of the pits and highlighted that traditional mining tools like drills and spades were inadequate for reaching the miners.
Local resident David Domungura shared that the couple had been engaging in mining to support their family, but tragically, they were met with this unfortunate fate. Domungura recounted that despite neighbors responding to their distress calls promptly, the couple had already been ensnared by the debris.
Concerningly, the region has been grappling with food shortages and economic difficulties, leading many locals to turn to gold mining as a means of survival. Domungura underscored the economic hardships, revealing that a gram of gold was fetching a meager price of Sh200, making it nearly impossible for miners to accumulate savings for the future. This is in stark contrast to areas like Ortum, where the same quantity commands a value of Sh6,000.
Domungura called upon the national government to intervene by providing relief food to families affected by hunger, thus mitigating such unfortunate incidents from occurring in the future.
