A tragic incident occurred at Kamenwo Quarry in Bomet County, where a collapse claimed the life of one person and left two others injured. The victims were in the process of harvesting sand from between the rocks when the quarry caved in. The deceased was a 15-year-old girl, while the two injured individuals, a 7-year-old boy and a 34-year-old woman, were seriously hurt.
The injured were swiftly transported to Longisa Referral Hospital for treatment, while the body of the young girl was taken to the same facility’s mortuary. According to Stanley Mutai, the Bomet County disaster management officer, the two children were not residents of the village. They were visiting the quarry site with the woman, who works as a miner at the location.
This tragic incident highlights the inherent risks faced by individuals involved in quarrying activities, particularly in areas where safety protocols may not always be strictly enforced. Quarry collapses are not uncommon in areas where the mining process is done manually, and workers, including untrained visitors, are at high risk due to unstable conditions in the quarry pits.
The quarrying industry in Kenya is growing, and with it, the number of people working in or around these mining sites. However, the lack of sufficient safety measures and regulations in some areas, particularly in rural regions like Bomet County, contributes to the frequency of such accidents. Often, miners, like the woman involved in this incident, face the dual challenge of earning a living in dangerous conditions without adequate protective equipment or support from regulatory bodies.
Local authorities have urged residents to avoid visiting quarry sites unless they are directly involved in the mining process. The quarry collapse has drawn attention to the need for better oversight of such mining operations to prevent further tragedies. The importance of enforcing safety measures and providing necessary training to those working in hazardous environments like quarries cannot be overstated.
While investigations into the exact cause of the collapse are ongoing, the local government and disaster management teams are working to prevent similar accidents from happening in the future. As communities continue to rely on quarries for materials such as sand, it is crucial to find a balance between economic activities and worker safety.
This incident serves as a reminder of the vulnerabilities faced by quarry workers and their families, particularly when they are exposed to risks without the proper safeguards in place. It also underscores the need for greater community awareness about the dangers of visiting or working at such sites, and the importance of implementing robust safety protocols to protect lives.
