Rescue efforts are underway following a landslide at Osiri Matanda goldmines in Nyatike, Migori.
Rescue teams are assessing damage at the Nyatike mining site, where a miners’ official said two people could be trapped, though the number remains unconfirmed.
Several miners are feared trapped following a landslide at Osiri Matanda goldmines in Nyatike Sub-County, Migori, with rescue operations underway to establish whether anyone remains beneath the debris.
Preliminary information from the area indicated that the landslide occurred at about 11pm on Thursday. Makeshift houses and shops within the mining area were affected, while reports also indicated that hotels had been impacted.
The number of people caught in the incident remained unclear as rescue teams assessed the scene. No casualty figure had been confirmed at the time of publication.
Two people suspected to be trapped
A miners’ official speaking on Friday said there were concerns that two people could be trapped. However, the official stressed that this information had not been confirmed and that assessments were continuing.
The official said the circumstances surrounding the incident made it difficult to establish the exact number of people affected. The suspected figure of two therefore remained provisional, rather than a confirmed count of those trapped.
Authorities and residents were working to determine the extent of the damage alongside the ongoing rescue operation. Whether anyone remained trapped was among the questions teams were still seeking to resolve.
Homes and businesses affected
The reported damage extended to structures around the goldmines, including makeshift homes and shops. Hotels in the area were also reported to have been affected, although the full extent of the damage had yet to be established.
The initial accounts did not establish how many of these structures had been affected or how many people were inside them when the landslide occurred. Those uncertainties remained part of the assessment underway at Osiri Matanda.
With both residential and business structures affected, the assessment was not limited to identifying miners who might be missing. Residents were also being asked to confirm the safety of people they knew in the area.
Residents urged to check on relatives
Residents of Osiri Matanda were urged to contact friends and relatives around the mining site and establish whether they were safe as rescue efforts continued.
They were also advised to remain alert amid prolonged rains in the region. The available preliminary information did not confirm the cause of the landslide.
For now, the scale of the incident remains uncertain. Reports of people potentially trapped had not been verified, and there was no confirmed tally of casualties.
Further details were expected as rescue teams continued their assessment, checked the affected area and worked with authorities and residents to establish what happened during the late-night incident.
