Gold mine explosion kills one person in Kenya
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Kenyans.co.ke
An explosion in an underground gold mine in Kabobo, Migori County, Kenya, killed one person and injured several workers; seven were hospitalised. Miners say a blast carried out by a Chinese team had not been reported, Kenyans.co.ke reports, citing survivors and the hospital.
An explosion in an underground gold mine in Kabobo, Migori County, killed one person and injured several miners on 5 November, according to Kenyans.co.ke. Workers said a Chinese mining team triggered an explosion in a nearby tunnel while they were working underground, without informing them beforehand.
Seven other miners were admitted to hospital after the accident. A hospital representative said the injured included people suffering from trauma to the arms and chest, fractured ribs and soft-tissue injuries, Kenyans.co.ke reports.
The workers estimate that more than 100 people were underground at the time of the explosion, although those working in the most distant tunnels were not affected. They accuse neighbouring operators of having previously carried out blasts without warning and are calling on the government to strengthen oversight of mining activities and prior notification for teams.
The accident follows a collapse reported on 25 September in the mining village of Osiri-Matanda, in Nyatike, also in Migori County. Houses had sunk into underground pits and two women were reported missing, according to Kenyans.co.ke.
