Five people died after a gold mine collapsed in the Hillo mining areas in Moyale Sub-county of Marsabit County on Thursday night as the government strives to weed out illegal mining.

Confirming the incident, Moyale Deputy County Commissioner (DCC) Benedict Munyoki said three people died in the wee hours of Thursday, while the fourth death occurred on Friday.

One artisan miner also sustained critical injuries and is fighting for his life at the Moyale Sub-county Hospital, where he is hospitalized.

Further, he said hundreds of miners had flocked to the area, trying to access the prohibited gold mines.

He said that some managed to sneak into the operation area and started excavating for the precious mineral, leading to four deaths after the mines caved in.

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The government outlawed the unlicensed gold mining activities in 13 sites within Hillo in Dabel ward in March this year through a gazette notice by the Interior and National Administration CS Prof. Kithure Kindiki, citing state security, economic, and safety concerns.

Aliens in their hundreds from as far as Nigeria, the DRC, and Somalia had unlawfully migrated to the area, where they carried out unregulated gold and chromite mining valued at millions of shillings.

The proceeds were suspected to be sources of funding for criminal activities.

Through the gazette notice, the government declared the area as disturbed and placed it under security surveillance round the clock.