5 Dead After Gold Mine Collapses in Kenya

Kenya announced the tragic collapse of an illegal gold mine in Northern Kenya, resulting in the deaths of at least five miners.

The incident occurred at the Hilo Mine in the Dabel area near the Kenyan-Ethiopian border on Friday, attributed to a landslide.

Patrick Mwaikeu, the County Police Commander of Marsabit, confirmed that the miners died instantly when they were buried under the debris. Authorities have not found any other workers, and it remains unclear if anyone else is missing.

The region has been unstable, leading Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki to ban mining activities in March after violent clashes over mining disputes resulted in seven deaths.

The ban was imposed due to the lack of environmental impact assessments and the dangerous conditions of the mining tunnels, which were described as weak and prone to collapse.

Local residents reported that mining activities continued despite the ban, blaming the authorities for not enforcing the prohibition.