In western Uganda’s Rubanda District, a 50-year-old man and his 16-year-old son died after being buried in a sand mine they frequented to make a living.
John Bosco Rwabyoma and his son, Andrew Magara, were buried in sand while mining in Karandagasi village along the Kabale-Lake Bunyonyi road. One person, Boyi Ayebare, survived the incident but suffered from fractured limbs and was taken to Rugarama Hospital for treatment.
The incident occurred during a heavy downpour that lasted for about an hour, and the victims were residents of Rwabarera village. The Gomborora Internal Security Officer for Bubare town council, Mr. Bernard Rwabugwene, confirmed the event, which was reported to the authorities by a boda-boda cyclist who rode by the mine moments after the sand collapsed on the victims.
Sand mining is a profitable enterprise, with the United Nations Environment Programme estimating that 50 billion tons of sand are used globally each year for mega-infrastructure projects in the rapidly expanding construction market. However, reliable data on Uganda’s sand exports and registered sand miners is lacking.
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