A 50-year-old man and his 16-year-old son have died after they were buried in a sand mine they have been frequenting to eke out a living in Rubanda District in western Uganda.
John Bosco Rwabyoma and his son, Andrew Magara, a senior two student at Cream Land High School in Kabale town died Saturday afternoon after the sand they were mining buried them at Karandagasi village along the Kabale-Lake Bunyonyi road.
The officer in charge of criminal investigations at Rubanda police station, Ms Bernice Aine and the Gomborora Internal Security Officer (GISO) for Bubare town council, Mr Bernard Rwabugwene confirmed the incident.
One Boyi Ayebare survived the mine accident with fractured limbs and was rushed to Rugarama hospital for treatment, according to authorities.
“The incident happened at around midday during a heavy downpour that lasted for about one hour. Although the deceased persons are residents of Rwabarera village, the incident happened in Karandagasi village, Kitoojo ward Bubare town council. The injured person was taken to Rugarama hospital for treatment while the deceased were handed over to the relatives for burial,” Mr Rwabugwene said.
Mr Rwabugwene said they were informed about the incident by a boda-boda cyclist who rode by the mine moments after the sand collapsed on the victims.
“My father and my brother left home early in the morning for sand mining and as we were waiting for them to return for lunch, we got the sad news that they were killed in the mine. Losing two people, including the head of the family at ago is painful and a great loss,” said Mr Peter Ahereza.
Sand is a valuable non-renewable commodity used mainly for mega-infrastructure projects in the rapidly expanding Ugandan, African and global construction market.
Data on Uganda’s sand exports is not reliable. For example in 2015 the country exported 22 tones, earning USh253 million (US$68 500), but exported 19 tones in 2016, earning only USh16m (US$4 300). Information is also lacking on registered sand miners in Uganda, as well as the regional or global sand companies that trade with the country.
Sand mining is a big business, with 50 billion tons used globally each year, the United Nations Environment Programme said in a report last year.
