Three miners were found dead after a gold mining site they had ventured into collapsed in Nyaguda area, Bondo, Siaya County.
Authorities said the three had gone into the site to excavate gold proceeds on April 1 when the incident happened.
Police said the bodies of Dancun Ooko Ouma, 33, Elphas Odhiambo, 21 , and Victor Ochieng Okeyo, 35 were discovered in the mining tunnel, that had reportedly remained unused for a long time.
They were discovered long after they had gone there for the gold. Locals were concerned they had taken long to come back and went to check on them when they stumbled on the bodies later in the evening .
The bodies were retrieved and moved to Bondo Sub-County hospital mortuary, awaiting postmortem, police said.
Local police have warned miners against venturing into the sites saying they are unsafe.
The collapse is the latest in a series of fatal mining accidents in the region amid a campaign to address the fatalities.
In December, four people were buried alive in a similar incident at the Sigor, West Pokot.
In March 2025, an 18-year-old woman was killed while mining gold in Korosion village along the banks of River Turkwel.
In March 2025, at least five female artisanal miners died in a tragic accident at the Lumba gold mine in North Ramba, Rarieda sub-county, Siaya County.
Police said the incident happened as a group ventured into a tunnel for the minerals.
The incident came a week after three artisanal miners lost their lives in a similar gold mine accident in Rera village, Gem Wagai sub-county, raising concerns over safety in local mining operations.
The women, who were reportedly six in number, were performing routine mining tasks when the mining shaft suddenly caved in around 3:00 p.m., burying them alive.
Such incidents are common in gold mining sites amid calls for safety to address them.
The miners are accused of using heavy machines to excavate the products which weakens the walls hence the collapse.
West Pokot is among those with gold deposits and hence attracts residents who venture there to make a living.
Similar incidents have also been reported in other parts of the country including in Lirhembe village, Ikolomani in Kakamega county and another in Manyatta village, Vihiga county.
To deal with some of these challenges, the government has also directed that those involved in mining activities to stop operations for the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) to conduct an environmental impact assessment to give the ecological guidelines before mining operations can resume.
The miners however, defy the orders and venture into the sites for a living.
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