Two men suffocated to death on Easter Friday morning as they dug out sand to enlongate an old well at Mosiabano area, Bonchari, Kisii County.
Villagers said the first- an unidentified male digger- had scaled down the 40 metre well and had already dug out some rocks when he stopped communicating with his helper before he passed out.
The second victim, the helper identified as - Hudson Onditi, 32- also succumbed after he was overwhelmed by lack of oxygen in the deeps.
He was on a rescue mission he fell off the rope he had clung to as others pulled him out, said his brother, Evans Mbaka.
He suffered deep wounds to the head and died in the well too.
Mbaka said today was the diggers' second day at work.
"Today was the second day they were reporting to work and we didnt suspect this could occur. We suspect suffocation as cause for their death," added Mbaka.
Kisii South Police boss Beatrice Kigalu said they were called to the scene by an Assistant chief from the area but by the time they arrived the duo had already passed on.
"We have begun investigations though the primary evidence points to suffocation as cause for the diggers's death. The well was covered by metal bars, and being a dry spell ,heat in the well may had contributed to their death," said Kigalu.
County disaster executive Dr Beatrice Nyonkang'i said her team helped in pulling out the bodies from the wel before they were taken were taken to Nyangena Hospital mortuary to await postmortem.
