THE Bombolulu quarry where two men died after a landslide occurred on Tuesday evening had been close indefinitely after a similar incident happened two years ago, the Star has learnt.

Mombasa mayor by then, Ahmed Mondhar, had ordered the closure of the quarry after five people lost their lives after the walls of the quarry collapsed.

A perimeter wall had been put around it to keep away people from accessing the quarry but the wall has since been demolished and mining operations resumed illegally.

The quarry puts lives of the residents and children at risk, as jobless youths work in the mines while children play inside the caves that have been dug up.

Houses around the region also risk being burnt up in case of electricity faults, because there are three electricity polls which have been left standing on top of a boulder which might collapse anytime from now.

The two men who died on Tuesday add up the number of people who have died in the quarry to seven, and scores others left with lifetime injuries, according to the residents.

The victims Patrick Oloo and Zakayo Oloo were pronounced dead at the scene while their friend Mohamed Mwikandi was rushed to the Coast General hospital Intensive Care Unit where he is recuperating after both his legs were severely crushed.

Two other men were treated at the nearest hospitals and were discharged after they escaped with slight injuries. The landslide is believed to have occurred due to the heavy rains which were experienced in Mombasa making the walls of the quarry to be wet and weak.

Heavy rocks burried the two men and it took five hours for the Mombasa county fire brigade and the county disaster management team to uncover one of the victims body.

Remains of the second victims remained at the scene throughout the night as the team went to look for earth remover vehicles to help in the operation.

Musa Nahid, the chairperson of the county disaster management team said they lacked saving equipments and had to borrow the vehicle from KB Sanghani, a transport company in Mombasa to retrieve the body of the second one.

Speaking to the press at the scene of the incident, Mombasa county fire brigade acting sub-station officer, Salim Mateka said they were called at the scene by residents who witnessed a landslide.

"We have been able to retrieve a single body while another body is still trapped in the rocks and soil which had collapsed.," he said.

The body of Patrick Oloo was taken to coast general hospital as the area was coded off as scene of crime while Red Cross and other officers helped in retrieving the second body.

Mombasa county governor, Hassan Joho through his official Facebook account sent out a condolences message to the bereaved families.

"My sincere heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of all those affected during the Nyali timboni disaster," he said. He cautioned quarry workers to keep off the quarries especially during this rainy season to avoid other disasters in the future.

"I am currently away for my ten days spiritual journey (Umra) I will pray for you and our County," he added. Ziwa La Ngombe county representative, Salim Kalume, said they were saddened by the incident and were calling for the government to put strict measures to curb the repeat of the same.

Kalume, however said they cannot blame the people who died as they were forced to work in the illegal quarry due to lack of employment.

Kisauni OCPD Julius Wanjohi confirmed that the police had retrieved the second body and had launched investigation of where the rocks were being sold to as the mining at the quarry is illegal.