Six miners remain trapped inside a gold mine in Naduat, Nakalale Ward, Turkana County, after a mining pit collapsed on Friday, August 14, 2026.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

As of Monday, August 17, the six miners were still trapped underground, with rescue teams yet to establish whether they are alive.

According to Kenya Red Cross, efforts to reach them have continued through the weekend as excavators and local miners worked to clear the collapsed section of the mine.  Their condition, however, remains unknown.

A rescue operation has since been launched, with local miners familiar with the underground terrain helping responders navigate the site and search for the trapped workers.

📌 What You Need to Know

A team comprising security officers, the area chief, county officials and Kenya Red Cross personnel visited the site on Sunday as efforts to locate the miners continued.

Excavators have also been brought to the area to help clear debris and create access to the collapsed section of the mine. However, the unstable terrain has made the rescue operation difficult.

The Naduat incident has once again drawn attention to the dangers facing artisanal gold miners in Turkana, where poorly reinforced shafts, inadequate ventilation, limited safety equipment and weak emergency response systems have contributed to repeated accidents.

In 2025, NEMA ordered all mining activities in the Kambi Karai and Lami Nyeusi region along River Turkwel in Sigor Constituency to stop, following complaints over illicit mining, with more than 200 mining sites in the area operating without Environmental Impact Assessment licences.

NEMA also raised concerns over the environmental damage caused by the activities, including deep mining holes and polluted water along the river, with the contamination making the water unsuitable for domestic use, and these concerns highlight the wider environmental cost associated with poorly regulated mining in the county.

Turkana's gold sector has also faced repeated disputes over regulation; areas such as Lomeguro in Turkana South have previously been closed following fatal accidents and community complaints, while miners in remote areas continue to face challenges accessing formal markets, safety equipment, and proper mining infrastructure.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke