KAPENGURIA, Kenya, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan authorities on Friday confirmed that at least 10 people were killed after an artisanal gold mine collapsed at Rumos Hills in northwestern Kenya on Thursday evening.
West Pokot County Commissioner David Saruni said some people were still missing after officials reported hearing sounds and screams from beneath the rubble, raising hopes that more survivors could still be trapped alive.
Saruni told Xinhua that the rescue mission, coordinated by the Kenya Red Cross, was still ongoing following the incident near the border between West Pokot and Turkana County.
"At least 10 bodies have been retrieved from the pit, and a rescue mission is ongoing as more people are believed to be trapped in the collapsed pit," he said.
The official said 12 survivors were hospitalized at a local health facility after being rescued by residents.
Isaac Lomwai, a local tribal chief, said several artisanal miners were working inside the pit when the walls collapsed and buried them alive.
It was not immediately clear how many miners were inside the pit when the collapse occurred. ■
