A tragic incident occurred at a gold mine in the Abimbo area of Bondo sub-county, resulting in the death of a 65-year-old miner, while another remains trapped in the mine shaft.
The deceased, identified as James Waloga, had arrived for his regular shift at 9:00 a.m. alongside 13 fellow workers when the accident happened.
Mr. David Orido, the General Secretary of the Abimbo Mining Site, reported that the miners were descending the shaft when the ladder they were using collapsed, leading to a devastating fall into the depths of the mine.
He reported that during the incident, colleagues outside made efforts to rescue those trapped inside, managing to save only twelve miners.
Unfortunately, James Waloga and another colleague remained in the shaft, which is currently inundated with water. The Secretary informed Radio Ramogi that they were able to locate Waloga and brought him to safety while he was still alive, but he was later pronounced dead at Bondo sub-county hospital.
Efforts are still ongoing to find the other individual who stayed behind in the shaft. The General Secretary confirmed that a typical mining shaft holds up to fourteen miners, who descend in shifts. He added that the two individuals were among those present when the ladder broke, leading to the tragic accident.
This incident occurred exactly three years after a previous collapse at the same site, which resulted in the deaths of two miners, including Tom Okwach, whose remains were searched for underground for over six months in 2021.
