Three miners missing after flooding at Kayonza mine

By The Inspirer.

Three miners remain missing after a sudden surge of water flooded a mining pit in Rwinkwavu Sector, Kayonza District, while eight others were rescued and taken to hospital.

The incident occurred on the evening of Saturday, October 10, 2026, in Kinihira Village, Nkondo Cell, Rwinkwavu Sector.

Rwinkwavu Sector Executive Secretary Oswald Ntagwabira told IGIHE that the miners worked for Rwinkwavu Mining Cooperation, a company legally engaged in mineral extraction.

He said the workers encountered an underground water source while mining, causing a sudden influx of water that swept some of them away. Eight miners were rescued, while three others remained missing.

“We managed to rescue eight people who had swallowed a lot of water and took them to hospital. The other three, who were further inside, may have become disoriented as the water reached them. We spent the night searching for them alongside the police but could not find them. We resumed the search this morning, and the police are bringing water-pumping vehicles so that we can continue looking for them,” Ntagwabira said.

He urged miners to exercise caution when working deep underground, particularly when they encounter areas that could pose safety risks. He also called on mining companies to conduct proper assessments before sending workers into potentially hazardous areas.

Ntagwabira added that authorities were checking whether the mining company had insurance coverage for its employees.

The three missing miners are a 25-year-old man, a 26-year-old man and a 23-year-old man. Police and other authorities have deployed additional machinery to support the search operation.

SOURCE: IGIHE