Four people died after a quarry collapsed on Thursday, July 9, in Bugesera District as members of a local cooperative were extracting construction materials, police said.

The incident occurred at around 11 a.m. at a quarry operated by COTRAKI, a licensed cooperative engaged in quarrying activities.

The incident was confirmed by Eastern Province Regional Police spokesperson, Senior Superintendent of Police Hamdun Twizeyimana, who said the rescue operation was underway in the evening as authorities believe more people have been trapped beneath the debris.

"It is true that the incident happened and four people lost their lives when the quarry collapsed on them," Twizeyimana told The New Times.

"We are still at the scene and have deployed excavators to search for and retrieve those who are still buried. We suspect that about 10 people may have been trapped in the collapse," he added.

Twizeyimana said COTRAKI is a licensed cooperative authorised to operate in Bugesera District and that all its members are covered by insurance.

He noted that investigators had not yet established the exact cause of the collapse, although preliminary observations suggest the geological nature of the site could have contributed to the incident.

"We cannot determine the exact cause of the incident at this stage because the area appears to be rocky. It could have been caused by the excavation process itself, but investigations are ongoing," he said.

The identities of the deceased had not yet been released by press time to avoid speculations.

Twizeyimana urged mining and quarrying operators and workers to observe safety procedures and conduct regular risk assessments to prevent similar accidents.