One person died while harvesting sand after he was buried under the rubble on the banks of the Lumakanda River in Lugari in Kakamega County.

Preliminary reports indicate that Michael Mulongo died on Monday.

“I met a young man who informed me that his colleague was buried under the sand near the river. I called neighbors to help retrieve the body,” a resident said.

According to Citizen Digital, this comes as residents said they have warned people against the trade, citing the danger associated with it.

“People have been coming here to harvest sand without proper gear. We have warned them over and over to no avail,” a resident said.

Further, they called for proper measures to be put in place to avert further crisis.

Another resident noted, “The government should address this issue with utmost urgency. This will help keep illegal sand harvesters away.”

His body has been taken to a nearby morgue.