11 Injured as Rescue Efforts Continue After Gold Mine Collapse in West Pokot

Rescue operations are continuing at Rumos Hills in West Pokot County after rocks collapsed at an informal gold mining site on Thursday night, April 8 2026.

According to the Kenya Red Cross Society, at least 11 people have been injured in the incident.

The agency said there are fears that more people could still be trapped underground because sounds are still being heard from the collapsed site.

West Pokot Gold Mine Collapse Leaves 11 Injured as Rescue Efforts Continue

Three people who were seriously injured have been taken to Kapenguria Referral Hospital for treatment.

“Rescue efforts are ongoing following a rockfall incident at Rumos Hills in West Pokot County, where community members were engaged in informal gold mining activities,” Kenya Red Cross said in a statement released on Thursday night.

First responders from the Kenya Red Cross are at the scene helping local authorities and residents with the rescue operation.

Also Read: Rain-Soaked Shaft Claims Life as Kakamega Gold Mine Collapses

Authorities have not yet confirmed how many people may still be trapped as the search continues.

Witnesses say the explosion tore through the underground reefs before sections of the mine caved in, burying miners and nearby parts of the site.

The incident has sparked widespread concern among Kenyans.

Issa Huseyn said the disaster had once again exposed the dangers faced by artisanal miners, where poorly regulated use of explosives and unsafe mining practices continue to claim lives.

Another Kenyan, identified as Gibson, called on the Cabinet Secretary for Petroleum and Mining to take action by providing proper machinery for gold mining activities in West Pokot County, citing the rising number of deaths caused by rock collapses.

Past Cases of Gold Mine Collapse

The latest tragedy in West Pokot County adds to a growing number of deadly gold mine accidents reported across the country over the past year, especially in western and northwestern Kenya where artisanal miners operate in risky and poorly regulated sites.

Many of the incidents have been linked to heavy rains, weak underground structures, loose soil caused by machinery excavation and the use of explosives near mining shafts.

In March 2026, two supervisors died in Kuria West after a wall collapsed during an inspection of a 100-metre-deep mining shaft.

Also Read: County-by-County Map of Kenya’s Verified Mineral Deposits and Resource Potential

A day later, another miner died in the Museno area of Kakamega County after an explosion in a nearby shaft triggered a collapse that trapped 37 miners underground.

In another incident at Sigalagala in Kakamega County, one miner died after 15 miners were buried when a gold mine collapsed at around 2:00 a.m. Eight miners were rescued while seven remained trapped for hours during rescue operations.

In December 2025, three miners died after a shaft collapsed at Shiveye mine in Ikolomani. Authorities later ordered the immediate closure of the mine.

West Pokot County has also recorded several similar incidents in recent months. In June 2025, one to two miners died following multiple collapses at Kambi Karaya, prompting the government to shut down illegal commercial mining activities in the area.

Days earlier, four miners died in Turkwel, West Pokot, after loose soil collapsed on them while they were carrying out night mining activities using manual tools.

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Kenya Red Cross CEO Dr Ahmed Idris. PHOTO/Kenya Red Cross