Four people died after allegedly suffocating due to lack of oxygen inside a mining hole at Ntunyigi in Kuria West, Migori County.
The victims were found dead on Saturday, September 26, 2026, after one of them entered the mining hole and failed to return.
Police officers rushed to the site and, with the assistance of members of the public, mobilised a large compressor from the neighbourhood to pump oxygen into the hole.
The operation enabled rescuers to enter the mining shaft and retrieve the four bodies.
The deceased were identified as David Kinono Munanka, 41, the owner of the mining site, Ian Gati Mwita, 20, Samson Nyangige, 37, and Peter, who was known by one name and was estimated to be 23 years old.
Police said Munanka had entered the hole to check on the three workers, who had gone underground at about 7am but failed to return.
The scene was processed and documented by investigators before the four bodies were moved to Kehancha Sub-County Hospital mortuary.
Post-mortem examinations will be conducted to establish the exact cause of death.
This comes amid concerns of safety of miners at the sites. The miners have been operating without general safety exposing them and their neighbours to dangers.
This also came a day after 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.
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