Miner trapped underground for 3 days rescued alive

A miner who was trapped after Kopuodho gold mine in North Kamagambo ward in Rongo collapsed has been rescued alive 3 days later.

Noah Ongweno was trapped when the walls of the mine caved in while on a mining expedition alone.

It took efforts from local politician Paul Abuor and Rongo Deputy County Commissioner Joseph Ng’eny and the locals to successfully get the miner out of the cave.

Abuor on Sunday evening said their rescue team managed to get the miner out of the collapsed goldmine alive.

“We thank the excavator operators and other rescuers who worked day and night. I also wish to thank all those who offered us support throughout this operation to save Noah’s life,” Abuor said.

Ongweno was later taken to Lwala Community hospital for a medical checkup.

Meanwhile, it has been 36 days since the Abimbo gold mine caved in, but the family of Tom Okwach, one of the miners still trapped in the mine, is still camping at the scene of the tragedy.

The family says it will only leave the scene once the body of their son has been retrieved.

The mine collapsed on December 2 last year, killing one miner and 7 others being rescued alive days later.

The family has been waiting under a tree near the mine, staying put in the hope that their son’s body will be retrieved from the ground beneath.

Volunteers who tenaciously worked to retrieve their colleagues were forced to give up given the weakening of the soil. Since then, this family has had to make the best of what they have at their disposal.

At the moment, the family is depending on well-wishers to ensure that the retrieval operation continues their prayer being to give Tom Okwach a decent farewell.