Three young men have died while trying to make their living out of sand harvesting in Ndithini area of Machakos.
This happened after the wall of the mine on Saturday evening collapsed on the three, who died on the spot.
The victims, two of them being brothers, were digging more sand to fill a second lorry that was waiting to buy the product when the already weakened high walls crumbled down on them.
Confirming the incident, Ndithini assistant chief Daniel Mbithi said the area residents depend on the sand business to feed themselves and their families.
“Poverty is what leads these area residents to involving themselves in this dangerous activity," the administrator said.
"Many residents work here to earn only Sh200 per day. The worst thing about it is that there are no safety clothes that the miners put on during this dangerous activity.
"The three men were found dead after the residents took it on themselves to dig out the soil that had covered them.”
Ndithini residents, however, called upon the National Environment Management Authirity (Nema) to put a ban against sand harvesting in the area as many young people have lost their lives during the activity but more are still engaging themselves.
Commenting on the same incident, the former area councillor Bernard Ngumba warned the residents against the activity and further called upon the Machakos County government to form regulations on how the sand business will be carried out without endangering the lives of workers.
“Late last year we also lost two workers to sand harvesting in Mananja location in exactly similar instances. Machakos County legislators should step in and enforce regulations on safe sand harvesting,” said Ngumba
The area youths have been asked to put into consideration the warnings that the leaders have issued on the different quarries that have been termed as life threatening.
Police from Masinga police station have taken the bodies of the three to Matuu nursing home mortuary.