This archive report was first published on 5 October 2021.
On Sunday, a tragic incident occurred at Riakithiga village in Kirinyaga County, where a man lost his life while digging a borehole.
The incident happened when Ndege Gichira, a professional borehole digger, ran out of oxygen in the 90-foot borehole he was digging.
According to eyewitnesses, Ndege was scooping the soil when he suddenly went silent, prompting his colleague to enter the borehole and find him lying dead.
The residents attempted to rescue the victim, but their efforts were in vain.
County disaster management experts arrived at the scene and retrieved the body of the victim after a four-hour struggle.
John Kiama, one of the experts, explained that the hole was so deep that oxygen became insufficient, causing the victim to suffocate.
"The man had sunk the borehole to such a level oxygen became insufficient and he suffocated," said Mr. Kiama.
