The bodies of two women, Millicent Atieno and Philice Awino, have been recovered from the rubble of a collapsed hotel in the Osiri Matanda mining area of Nyatike North Sub-County. The hotel, a makeshift structure, collapsed and sank into an underground mining tunnel on September 24, 2026, trapping the two women.
According to Nyatike North Deputy County Commissioner Daniel Omukoko, the bodies were retrieved on Saturday following a search operation by locals, miners, security personnel, and county disaster response teams. The victims were identified as residents of different areas within the county. Millicent Atieno was from Mukuro in Suna West Sub-County, while Philice Awino, 36, was from Central Kadem in Nyatike North Sub-County.
Authorities reported that the bodies had started decomposing, indicating the difficult conditions underground and the length of time they remained trapped beneath the debris. The bodies were transported to Migori County Level Five Hospital Mortuary for post-mortem examinations and further procedures before being released to their families for burial.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the building collapsed after the ground beneath it gave way due to the presence of abandoned and weakened mining tunnels. The hotel had been established within an active artisanal mining zone, where extensive underground excavations have left large sections of land unstable.
Omukoko attributed the disaster to unsafe mining practices that have compromised the structural integrity of the area. He noted that the house they were living in collapsed underneath into a mining tunnel, and at this site, the colonial stools and pillars supporting the tunnels have been destroyed due to irresponsible mining activities.
The government has announced safety measures aimed at averting similar incidents. Authorities have directed that all kiosk operators and business owners currently operating within the dangerous mining zone be relocated to the nearby Osiri Kambi settlement, located approximately 800 metres from the affected site.
Moreover, mining shafts that fail to meet established safety standards will be closed immediately as part of an intensified enforcement campaign targeting unsafe mining operations. The administrator warned that the continued destruction of underground support pillars poses a serious threat to lives and property in the mining-rich area.
Key points
- Two women died in a hotel collapse in Nyatike North Sub-County due to unsafe mining practices.
- Authorities have ordered the relocation of businesses operating within the mining zone to a safer area.
- Mining shafts not meeting safety standards will be closed as part of an intensified enforcement campaign.
