Five dead, several others trapped after British-operated gold mine collapses in Kenya

At least five people were killed and an unknown number remained trapped after a tunnel collapsed at a British-operated gold mine in southwestern Kenya on Wednesday, local authorities said.

The collapse occurred at the Kilimapesa Gold Mine in Transmara South, about 260 kilometres southwest of Nairobi, after miners entered an underground tunnel that later caved in.

Police and Transmara South Deputy County Commissioner Stephen Odeke confirmed the deaths, saying rescue efforts were continuing despite difficult conditions underground.

Speaking to reporters at the scene, Odeke said the operation had been slowed by a lack of specialised rescue equipment needed to safely reach those believed to be trapped.

Search and rescue

"Those on the ground have no specialised equipment to help in the rescue mission," he said.

Odeke said authorities had not established how many miners remained underground, adding that search and rescue teams were continuing efforts to locate survivors.

The cause of the collapse has not yet been determined, and authorities said investigations would begin once rescue operations are completed.

Kilimapesa Gold Mine is operated by London-listed Caracal Gold PLC through its Kenyan subsidiary, and is one of Kenya's few large-scale commercial gold mining operations.

Fatal mine accidents are relatively common in Kenya's mining sector, particularly in underground operations, where inadequate safety measures and limited rescue capacity have contributed to repeated deadly incidents.