What you need to know: The deadly allure of Abimbo gold mines

Search and rescue efforts for miners trapped at a collapsed goldmine at Abimbo in Bondo, Siaya County on December 5, 2021. [Collins Oduor, Standard]

Mineshaft collapse timeline: 

December 2, 2021, 3pm: Gold mining shaft collapses at Abimbo area in Bondo sub-county, trapping 10 miners. Two are rescued with minor injuries

December 3, 2021: Two bulldozers are dispatched early in the morning to help in rescue operations. Villages help sift through the rubble in search of survivors

-Local experts and artisan miners use a pipe to communicate with trapped miners

-Rescuers opt to use one of the mining plant’s compressors to pump oxygen through the pipe into the shafts

December 4, 2021: One other miner is rescued, but one is pulled out dead

Search for miners trapped in a collapsed goldmine at Abimbo village in Bondo Siaya County on December 4, 2021. [Collins Oduor, Standard]

December 5, 2021: Another miner is rescued

December 6, 2021: Another miner is rescued in the early morning

December 8, 2021: Three more miners are rescued from the goldmine at around 2am  

What we know about the goldmine

-Abimbo gold mine is situated in Bondo, Siaya County

-The mine was operational, though it had been declared an illegal site by National Environment Management Authority

-In March 2021, NEMA banned mining activities in Bondo and Rarieda constituencies after complaints of corrosive chemical pollution

-The mine’s shaft reportedly stretches down 90 feet (about 27.4 metres)

-A compressor is used to blow fresh air into the mine to enable those inside it to breathe

-The use of excavators to rescue trapped miners was halted at some stage due to shaky ground and fear of the mine shaft collapsing further

-It’s been difficult to pass the trapped miners food and water due to the narrowness of the available space