Kaabong artisanal miner still trapped in deep gold pit, rescue efforts stall

28 April 2026, 9:40 am

By Alexander Mackey Okori

Efforts to retrieve the body of an artisanal miner believed to still be trapped beneath a collapsed gold mining pit in Kaabong District have proved futile, according to police.

The victim, identified as Nangiro Lokubal, aged 26, a resident of Kakutatom Village, Kotomee Parish in Lodiko Sub-County, is one of two artisanal miners who were buried by soil while searching for gold in Nariwose Village, Lokonoyona Parish in Loyoro Sub-County on Saturday at around 8:00pm.

The body of his counterpart, identified as Kiyonga Longole, aged 35, a resident of Logutoo Village, Kotomee Parish in Lodiko Sub-County, was retrieved by local residents on the same day.

A team of police from Kaabong Central Police Station, led by the Officer in Charge of Station, ASP Drek Twinamastko, on Sunday attempted to retrieve Lokubal’s body but abandoned the site after failing to locate it.

On Monday morning, officers from the Energy and Minerals Department based at the Mt Moroto Regional Headquarters joined the local police in another recovery attempt, but their efforts were also unsuccessful.

ASP Twinamastko confirmed the development, saying the mining pit is estimated to be more than 80 feet deep, making recovery difficult using rudimentary tools.

He said they had initially hoped to recover Lokubal’s body by Tuesday, but the depth of the pit made this impossible.

ASP Twinamastko added that they have requested an excavator from the district to assist in recovering the body from the soil-covered pit.

Statistics reveal that five people have died following gold mine collapses in Loyoro Sub-county, where residents have been rushing to mine gold.

On 22 March 2026, three people identified as Lopetok Modo, 25, Chilis Lokito, 18, and Nautu Nangiro, 15, were buried after a tunnel collapsed in Sokodu Village, Morulem Parish, Loyoro Sub county.