A 49-year-old woman has died after being buried by collapsing soil while mining gold at an illegal mining site along Paganda Stream in Palabek Kal sub-county, Lamwo district.

The deceased, identified as Ayot Hellen, a resident of Liri East village, Ayuu Alali Parish, was reportedly mining gold with other people at about 8:00am on November 3, 2026, when the incident occurred.

SP Okema Patrick Jimmy, the PRO North Kyoga and also acting PRO for Aswa East Region said the soil suddenly caved in, burying Hellen and another miner identified only as Abonga, a South Sudanese refugee.

Fellow miners attempted to rescue the victims, but Hellen could not be saved. Abonga was rescued and rushed to Palabek Kal Health Centre IV for medical attention.

Hellen’s body was later retrieved from the site and taken to the same health facility for a postmortem examination.

Okema said the incident was reported by Olanya Richard, 74, a resident of the same village, prompting investigations. A case of sudden death has been registered at Lamwo Central Police Station under reference DEF 12/2026.

Police officers from Lamwo Central Police Station and Palabek Kal sub-county Police Station visited the scene, documented evidence and recorded statements from relevant witnesses.

In a statement, police described the incident as unfortunate and warned residents against engaging in illegal gold mining, citing the dangers associated with unregulated mining activities.

Police urged communities to pursue safer income-generating activities rather than risk their lives in hazardous mining operations.

The incident highlights the dangers faced by artisanal miners working in unregulated sites, where collapsing soil and unsafe excavation practices can result in serious injuries or loss of life.

Authorities are continuing investigations into the circumstances surrounding the incident.