Relief as man trapped in caved mine rescued
Rescue operations at a collapsed gold mine in Abimbo village, Siaya County, in December last year.
A man who had been trapped in a collapsed mine in Migori County for four days was yesterday pulled out alive.
Artisanal miner Noah Ogweno, 25, was buried under the rubble after the walls of a gold mine caved in on Thursday last week.
Rescue efforts have been ongoing with residents camping at the site before he was rescued.
Rongo Sub-county Police Commander Peter Okiring said the constituency management committee had hired an excavator that has been helping with the rescue mission.
“We are glad he has been found alive and in a stable condition. He has been rushed to Tabaka Mission hospital for medical check-up,” said Mr Okiring.
Mr Opiyo who told journalists at the hospital that the walls of the mine caved in shortly after he had entered the tunnel.
“I was the first to go in. Suddenly, I heard a rumbling noise and the walls started to cave in,” he said.
The miner appeared gaunt and fatigued after going without food for four days.
“I am lucky to be alive and I thank everyone who dedicated their time and resources in the rescue mission,” he said.
Incidents of miners being trapped in gold mines have been on the rise, raising concerns over the safety of hundreds of youths engaged in the activities in parts of Nyanza and Western.
“We kept praying and hoping he would survive the ordeal and God has answered our prayers,” said one of the residents.
In Siaya County, the family of a man trapped in a collapsed mine for the last 39 days in Abimbo village, Siaya County, is desperate and confused after rescue efforts ground to halt.
As millions of Kenyans celebrated Christmas and New Year festivities, the extended family of trapped miner Tom Okwach continued to camp at the Abimbo mines, hoping against hope to reunite with him. Mr Okwach, 35, was one of 10 miners buried under the rubble after a gold mine collapsed in South Sakwa on December 2.
Eight of them were rescued alive and one was found dead. Mr Okwach’s body remains buried under the debris, a month after the accident.
As desperation set in yesterday, family members were considering selling a one-acre plot to raise money to pay for an excavator.
Distraught and forlorn, Mr Martin Sikuku, the victim’s father,said he was under pressure from relatives to sell the piece of land to raise some money to hire the excavator so that the recovery operation can resume.
