One person is dead while three others are fighting for their lives at Kaabong hospital after being buried in a gold mine. The incident occurred at about 3 pm on a river bank in Lobongia village in Lonongia sub-county in Kaabong district Wednesday.
According to Jacob Kule the Kaabong District police Commander, the deceased has been identified as Albino Lomuge while the injured are Marwas Achuka, Lodukole Lochomin, and Low Lokuwam, all admitted at Kaabong hospital.
Kule says that the four were searching for gold forcing the soil to lose its stability and cover them up. "With the help of the community members three people were rescued but one had already died," he said.
Kaabong LC V Chairperson Jino Meri, has appealed to the government and development partners to support the gold miners with safer mining tools, arguing that many families are currently surviving on gold mining in the district.
This is the second incident where gold miners are being buried alive in Karamoja. Last month, four gold miners were buried alive in gold pits at the Chepuar mining site in Chepkararat village in Lokales sub-county in Amudat district. The four miners died as they were entering the pits to dig gold.
