Death toll from Bugesera quarry collapse rises to 10

A quarry collapse in Bugesera District killed 10 people, including a woman, on Thursday, July 9, 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. By Thursday evening four people had been confirmed dead as a search and rescue operation was underway. According to Senior Superintendent of Police Hamdun Twizeyimana, the Eastern Province Regional Police spokesperson, the rescue operation was completed, with 10 people who were trapped beneath the collapsed quarry confirmed dead. I can confirm that all 10 people who were beneath the debris died at the scene and the rescue operation has been completed, Twizeyimana told The New Times on Thursday night. He added that the victims' bodies were transferred to Kacyiru Hospital. The search and rescue operation was completed past 11 p.m. according to the police officer. Unfortunately, none could be rescued alive, he said. Twizeyimana said the victims came from different parts of the country and had travelled to Bugesera District to work at the quarry. 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. 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. Twizeyimana urged mining and quarrying operators and workers to observe safety procedures and conduct regular risk assessments to prevent similar accidents.

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Death toll from Bugesera quarry collapse rises to 10