Two women are feared trapped underground after a makeshift house collapsed in the Matanda area of Nyatike Sub-County, Migori County, in the early hours of Friday.

The incident was reported at around 7.20am on September 25, 2026, by the chairman of the Macalder Mining Welfare Association, who received information that the house had collapsed while its occupants were asleep.

Police officers visited the scene and established that the structure may have sunk into a mining shaft running beneath it.

The house was reportedly occupied by two women identified as Mama Emma and Awino.

The two are feared to have been buried under a heap of soil together with their household belongings following the collapse.

Rescue efforts were underway as police, miners and other responders worked to retrieve the occupants from the collapsed structure.

The area has deposits of gold and has attracted dozens of miners who venture there without control. This has rendered it unstable and unsafe in general. The miners dig tunnels even under residential areas while searching for gold and leave them unattended. This exposes the residents to various dangers in the future.