Two people have been confirmed dead after being buried alive in a gold mine collapse in Kaabong District, in yet another fatal incident linked to unsafe artisanal mining practices in the region.
The accident occurred in Loriwo Village, Lokanayona Parish, Loyoro Sub-county, where the victims had reportedly entered the mining pit at night to extract soil believed to contain gold for further processing.
The deceased were identified as Kiyonga Longole, a resident of Kakutatom Village in Kotome Parish, Lodiko Sub-county, and Nangiro Lokubal, a resident of Logutoo Village in the same parish.
Police said the pair were trapped when the pit caved in, killing them on the spot. Their bodies were later retrieved and transported to Kaabong Hospital for postmortem examinations.
Karamoja Regional Police Spokesperson Mike Longole confirmed the incident and cautioned miners against operating outside approved and safe mining zones.
“We have advised artisanal miners to only operate in licensed areas and to strictly adhere to safety regulations issued by the Directorate of Geological Surveys and Mines,” Longole said.
Police added that illegal mining and disregard for safety guidelines continue to expose communities in the Karamoja sub-region to deadly accidents, with investigations into the latest collapse still ongoing.
Authorities have repeatedly warned that night mining, unregulated excavation and lack of protective measures remain key drivers of fatalities in informal gold mining sites across the region.
