At least 15 people, including 10 women, have been confirmed dead after a gold mine collapsed in Rumos Hills in Kenya’s West Pokot County, about 400 kilometers (248 miles) northwest of the capital Nairobi, local authorities said Friday.

The collapse occurred late Thursday while miners were working inside the informal gold mining site, trapping dozens of people underground, according to residents and rescue officials.

Isaac Lomwai, a local government administrative official responsible for coordinating security and state functions in the area, told local media that 15 bodies had so far been recovered from the site.

“We are continuing with the rescue operations. A stone fell on the section they were working on before the mine collapsed, leaving them trapped,” Lomwai said.

The Kenya Red Cross said rescue operations were continuing amid fears that additional miners may still be trapped beneath the rubble.

“Sounds are still being heard from the collapsed site, raising fears that more people may be trapped underground,” the organization said in a statement.

Emergency teams, local residents and volunteers have been digging through debris in an effort to reach trapped miners, with authorities warning that unstable ground conditions continue to complicate rescue efforts, especially due to heavy rains in the area.

Illegal and informal mining activities remain common in parts of Kenya, where poor safety standards, weak enforcement and dangerous excavation practices have frequently led to deadly accidents.

In December 2024, several miners were trapped after a gold mine collapsed in Rarieda, Siaya County, in western Kenya, while another collapse in Kakamega County in 2023 left multiple miners dead following heavy rainfall that weakened the mining shafts. (AA)