Written By | Our Reporter
Two men died on Sunday after a sand quarry collapsed while they were loading a tipper truck in Katete Sub-county, Kanungu District
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Kanungu
Two men died on Sunday after a sand quarry collapsed while they were loading a tipper truck in Katete Sub-county, Kanungu District. The incident occurred on January 4, 2026, at around midday at a sand quarry in Kanyamisinga Village, Nyakashojwa Parish. The deceased were identified as Izobaryomwe Simon (30), a casual labourer, and Mbonigaba Umar (31), a driver and co-owner of the quarry. Both were residents of the area.
According to Police, the two, together with Tumwebaze Junior (24), had gone to load sand onto a blue Isuzu tipper truck, registration number UBQ 884U, when a large mass of sand suddenly caved in, burying the vehicle and two of the workers. Tumwebaze escaped unhurt.
Police said the matter was reported at Katete Police Station, prompting an immediate rescue operation.
“A team of officers led by the District Police Commander, SP Azira Grace, responded to the scene, and a wheel loader from the UPDF Engineering Brigade in Kanungu was deployed to assist in the rescue,” said Elly Maate, the Kigezi Region Police Spokesperson.
By press time, only the body of Mbonigaba Umar had been retrieved, while efforts to recover the second body and the buried vehicle were expected to resume on Monday morning.
Maate said Police had recommended the deployment of an additional excavator to speed up the operation.
“There is a need for more heavy machinery to ease the retrieval of the remaining body and the motor vehicle,” he said.
Local leaders told Police that the sand pit has been operational for over 20 years and has previously claimed the lives of about 18 people, raising renewed concerns about safety in informal mining operations.
Police have urged quarry operators and local authorities to enforce safety measures to prevent similar incidents.
