Two women were killed after a section of land collapsed at a gold mining site in Osiri-Matanda, Nyatike Sub-County, Migori county.
The victims were identified as Phylis Awino, 33, and Millicent Atieno, 34.
According to police, the two bodies were retrieved on Saturday, September 26, 2026, during a joint operation involving the National Government and the County Government of Migori.
The operation followed the collapse of the mining shaft in the Osiri-Matanda gold mining area, which trapped the two women underground on Friday morning.
Rescue teams recovered the bodies from the collapsed section of the mine and processed the scene.
The bodies were subsequently taken to Migori County Referral Hospital mortuary, where they are being preserved pending post-mortem examinations.
The examinations are expected to establish the exact cause of death as authorities continue assessing the circumstances surrounding the mine collapse.
The area has deposits of gold and has attracted dozens of miners who venture there without control.
This has rendered it unstable and unsafe in general.
The miners dig tunnels even under residential areas while searching for gold and leave them unattended. This exposes the residents to various dangers in the future.
This comes amid government efforts to ensure safe mining at various gold mine sites.
There has been a rise in deaths at the sites in a worrying trend. Police say at least four people die weekly at gold mine sites in the country due to among others lack of safety measures.
The incidents happen in Siaya, Kakamega, West Pokot, Nandi, Vihiga, Narok, Migori and other places that have gold deposits.
For instance, a 35-year-old man died after he was allegedly assaulted during a disagreement at a gold mining site in Bondo, Siaya County.
The incident occurred on Sunday night, September 20, 2026, at the Domba Agenda Gold Mining Site in Uyawi Sub-location, Central Sakwa Location.
Police said they were alerted shortly after midnight by members of the public that a disagreement had erupted at the mining site, leaving one man seriously injured.
Officers from Bondo Police Station proceeded to the scene before tracing the injured man to Uyawi Sub-County Hospital, where he had been rushed by his workmates.
The man was identified as Zachary Okeyo Odhiambo, 35, who was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.
Preliminary investigations indicated that Odhiambo had allegedly been involved in a disagreement with a fellow worker at the mining site, at around 9pm.
According to police, the assailant allegedly hit Odhiambo during the confrontation before fleeing after the victim fell unconscious.
Odhiambo was subsequently rushed to hospital by his colleagues, but efforts to save his life were unsuccessful.
Police said the deceased’s body had no visible external physical injuries. It was transferred to the Bondo Sub-County Hospital mortuary, where it was preserved pending a postmortem examination.
Police have launched investigations into the circumstances surrounding the death and are pursuing the suspect.
