The survivors have been identified as Gabriel Aleper, aged 23, a resident of Moruediket village, Moruediket parish, in Kalapata Sub-county, Simon Modo, 20 years, Peter Meri, aged 19, and Rutamio Tubo,17 years, all residents of Lodwar village, Morulem Parish Kaabong East Sub-county.
By Alexander Mackey Okori
Police in Kaabong district have released the names of artisanal miners killed and injured after a mine collapsed on Monday, June 15, 2026, at Mutunan gold mining site in Mutunan village Mutunan parish Timu Sub-county.
The incident which reportedly occurred at around 5:00 pm, left one person dead and four others critically injured.
Police have since identified the deceased as Lochomin Ekino aged 19, a resident of Lodwar village, Morulem Parish Kaabong East Sub-county.
The survivors have been identified as Gabriel Aleper, aged 23, a resident of Moruediket village, Moruediket parish, in Kalapata Sub-county, Simon Modo, 20 years, Peter Meri, aged 19, and Rutamio Tubo,17 years, all residents of Lodwar village, Morulem Parish Kaabong East Sub-county.
Drake Twinamastko, the OC Station of Kaabong Central Police Station said the deceased was handed over to his relatives for a burial, while the survivors were rushed to Kaabong General Hospital for treatment.
He said that police preliminary findings indicate that the victims had dug tunnels underground connecting to over ten pits and were carrying out illegal mining since the gold mining site is not gazetted.
The incident adds to the growing concerns about the safety of illegal miners in Kaabong and other parts of Karamoja Sub-region.
Kaabong, one of the poorest and most deprived districts in Karamoja Sub-region, based on the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) 2024 Multidimensional Poverty Index, has significantly untapped gold deposits.
Gold continues to attract several foreign buyers to the district, pushing communities to take risks in search of the mineral without proper safety standards, which has claimed many lives.
Since the start of this year, gold mine collapse has reportedly claimed more than 12 people, leaving several others nursing wounds.
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