Five dead after gold mine collapses in West Pokot; reports differ on survivors

At least five people died when a gold mine collapsed in West Pokot County, according to Nairobi News, which quoted police reports: "the mine caved in and buried several people who were inside the site."

The Star and Nairobi News put the collapse at Longorokomol Larga in Pokot North Sub-County and date it to Friday 2 October 2026. The Standard places it at Songok Sub-location and says it happened on Thursday night.

Survivors: two accounts

The Star and Nairobi News report that three people were rescued alive and that rescue work continued into the night. The Star says five bodies had been retrieved by Friday evening. According to both, it was unclear how many people were at the site when the mine caved in.

The Standard reports four injured people, who it says were taken to Turkwel Dispensary with head and leg injuries. It says the bodies were taken to the mortuary at Kapenguria County Referral Hospital.

The Standard quotes West Pokot County Commissioner David Saruni as saying: "The rescue mission moved with speed, and all the people who had been trapped were rescued from the debris." It reports that Songok Location Chief Joseph Korkimul said earlier that three men and one woman had died, and that the number of people at the site had been established, with everyone accounted for. The Star and Nairobi News describe officials as fearing that more people remained trapped.

The safety record

The Star and Nairobi News both say police statistics show more than a dozen people die monthly in such incidents.

The Standard writes that underground mining in West Pokot exposes workers to risks including soil collapse, falling rocks and suffocation, particularly where operations lack adequate safety measures.

On 8 May 2026, 15 people died when a gold mine collapsed at Rumos Hills in Kacheliba Constituency, West Pokot, The Star reported. Twelve of the dead were women. Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen visited the area on 11 May and said the government would roll out safety measures for mining activities and cover medical bills for the injured.

Investigation

The Star and Nairobi News say police and local authorities are investigating the cause of the collapse.