By George Bukenya
A collapsing Gold Mine in Mabuka Village, Bukana Sub-County in Namayingo District has buried three young men and left one severely injured.
The victims are identified as Mohamed Suun, 18, a student of Kifuyo Secondary School, Sowedi, 18, and Wejuli both are residents of Nsango Village, Buyinja Su-county.
Police Spokes Person Kituuma Rusoke in a weekly crime press briefing said that the area police had earlier closed the mine citing risks and dangers of such illegal activity but the purported owners of the mine illegally re-opened it.
The area police have sice mounted the hunting for the three suspects over alleged negligence that led to the deaths of three illegal gold miners and left one severely injured after a gold mining pit collapsed and buried them.
The suspects are identified as Sam, Peter, and Swengere, who are alleged to be the owners of the illegal gold mining pits where the victims were working when the tragedy occurred.
According to preliminary police investigations, the incident occurred in the early hours of July 18, 2026, after the suspects allegedly directed the miners to enter the pits without protective gear. Investigators also established that the pits lacked adequate structural support, making them highly unsafe.
At around 1:00 a.m., the mining pit collapsed, trapping 12 miners approximately 120 feet underground. The miners had been relying on oxygen supplied through pipes, but the collapse reportedly severed the air supply, causing the trapped workers to suffocate.
`A joint team of detectives and officers from the Mineral Protection Police, led by the District Police Commander (DPC), responded to the scene. Rescue teams recovered five bodies while seven miners were rescued alive,’’ Rusoke said.
The injured were taken to Buyinja Health Centre IV, Victory Medical Centre in Namayingo, and Masafu Hospital in Busia for treatment. The bodies of the deceased were transferred to Buyinja Health Centre IV Mortuary and Masafu Hospital pending post-mortem examinations.
Police said the mining site had previously been closed by the district security committee over safety concerns. However, the miners allegedly ignored the closure order and continued operating illegally.
Busoga East Regional Police spokesperson ASP Michael Kasadha said investigations are ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident and to apprehend the three suspects, who remain on the run.