Five killed as gold mine tunnel collapses in Narok

Rescuers search for more victims after a mining pit collapsed in Lolgorian, Transmara South, killing five artisanal miners. [George Sayagie, Standard]

Five artisanal miners were killed after a gold mining tunnel collapsed at the Kilima Pesa mining site in Lolgorian, Transmara South Sub- County, Narok County, on Wednesday morning, trapping an unknown number of miners underground.

The victims were buried alive when the wall of the Mdomo ya Ng'ombe mining tunnel suddenly caved in as they were extracting gold, triggering a multi-agency rescue operation led by the Transmara South Sub-County Security Committee.

Narok County Police Commander Patrick Lobolia, who confirmed the incident while speaking in his office in Narok Town, said five bodies had so far been retrieved from the collapsed tunnel.

Rescuers search for more victims after a mining pit collapsed in Lolgorian, Transmara South, killing five artisanal miners. [George Sayagie, Standard]

Lobolia said the exact number of miners who were inside the tunnel when it collapsed remains unknown, raising fears that more people could still be trapped beneath the debris.

"Mine experts are on their way to the scene to assess the stability of the tunnels and establish whether there are more people trapped underground. The entire mining area has been sealed off and remains under police guard as investigations continue," said Lobolia.

He said detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), working alongside other government agencies, had launched investigations into the cause of the collapse, adding that no mining activities would be allowed to resume until experts complete their assessment and declare the site safe.

Police processed and documented the scene before ordering the indefinite closure of the mining site to facilitate investigations and prevent further loss of life.

The bodies were moved to Kuria West Sub-County Hospital Mortuary in Kehancha, where they are awaiting post-mortem examinations and formal identification by their next of kin.

The latest tragedy comes barely five months after another fatal mining accident at the same gold-rich Lolgorian belt.

On February 12, 2026, two artisanal miners were killed when an abandoned gold mining tunnel collapsed as they searched for the precious metal.