When Christine Mukampundu left residence on Thursday morning, it was simply one other workday. Like many households in her neighbourhood, she and her husband trusted quarry work to offer meals, pay faculty charges, and help their family. The couple parted methods early that morning, every heading to a unique quarry, anticipating to reunite after work. They by no means did.
ALSO READ: Loss of life toll from Bugesera quarry collapse rises to 10
As a substitute, Mukampundu acquired a telephone name that will change her life.
“A neighbour referred to as and instructed me there had been an accident on the quarry,” she recalled.
“I instantly requested whether or not my husband had survived. The individual instructed me everybody had been buried beneath the collapsed quarry. I rushed there, however after I arrived, I couldn't even see the employees. Every little thing was already buried below the particles.”
By the point she reached the scene in Nyamabuye Village, Kanzenze Cell, Ntarama Sector, rescue groups, assisted by excavators, had already begun the troublesome process of digging by tonnes of earth searching for survivors. None had been discovered alive.
The collapse, which occurred at round 11 a.m. on July 9, claimed the lives of all 10 staff who had been extracting stones and sand for development at a quarry operated by the licensed cooperative COTRAKI.
Rescue operations continued till round 11 p.m., when authorities recovered all of the our bodies, bringing the 12-hour search to an finish.
Among the many victims was Mukampundu's husband, Ndimubanzi Ndora.
Mukampundu, 42, is now left to care for his or her 5 youngsters, together with three-year-old twins, alone.
“It’s a deep shock,” she stated. “My husband was not solely my greatest pal but in addition our household's predominant breadwinner.”
Burial preparations are anticipated to happen on both Sunday, July 12, 2026, or Monday, July 13, 2026.
A harmful livelihood
For Mukampundu, the tragedy is made much more painful as a result of it was not her husband's first encounter with hazard on the quarry. A number of years in the past, he survived one other severe office accident that almost value him one in all his legs.
“He broke his leg badly, and for a very long time he may hardly stroll. He acquired therapy and finally recovered,” she stated. Following that accident, he quickly left quarry work and earned a residing as a carpenter. Nevertheless, like many casual staff, he struggled to search out secure employment.
Finally, he returned to the quarry.
“He got here again as a result of this was the place he may earn cash to help the household,” she stated. “Sadly, it’s the identical place that took his life.”
Now, Mukampundu faces an unsure future.
“The cooperative has instructed us it’ll help with the burial, and I admire that. However after the funeral, I don't know what is going to occur,” she stated, interesting to each the federal government and the cooperative for help in elevating her youngsters.
“I’ve nowhere else to show. Elevating 5 youngsters alone, together with twins, is not going to be straightforward.”
Mukampundu stated she understands the risks related to quarry work.
But, like many labourers in Bugesera District, she stated poverty usually leaves staff with little selection.
“We all know the dangers. We now have seen individuals get injured earlier than,” she stated. “However these quarries are the place we earn cash to feed our households, purchase garments, and survive.”
“It may have been me”
For 27-year-old Samuel Uwitonze, the tragedy feels deeply private.
Uwitonze usually works on the identical quarry the place the collapse occurred. On that morning, nevertheless, he had taken time without work to attend a gathering of his financial savings group.
That call saved his life.
“I normally work there daily, however on that day I had one other dedication,” he stated.
He stated each sufferer was somebody he knew, and that they’d labored collectively for a number of years.
“They had been my colleagues. We labored collectively daily.”
Visibly shaken, Uwitonze described surviving the tragedy as a matter of God's grace.
“This confirmed me that my time had not but come. I’m grateful to be alive, however I’m deeply saddened as a result of those that died had been individuals I shared my each day life with.”
Jean Marie Vianney Byarugaba, the vice-president of COTRAKI Cooperative, stated there have been 10 staff contained in the quarry when it collapsed.
Based on him, the cooperative follows established security procedures earlier than excavation begins.
“An engineer is assigned to examine the quarry earlier than staff start mining actions. What occurred was a shock and a tragic accident,” he stated.
Byarugaba stated the cooperative was working carefully with the bereaved households to organise the burials.
“We’re all devastated. The individuals we misplaced had been hardworking members of our cooperative, and plenty of had been heads of their households,” he stated.
He added that each household would obtain burial help from the cooperative. He additionally stated all cooperative members are lined by insurance coverage.
Whereas households put together to bury their family members, questions surrounding the circumstances of the collapse stay.
Sources point out that the president of the COTRAKI Cooperative was taken into custody by Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) to help investigators inspecting the incident.
Efforts to acquire official affirmation from RIB had been unsuccessful by press time, because the spokesperson couldn’t be reached by telephone and had not responded to inquiries.
The RIB spokesperson has not but launched the findings of the investigation into the reason for the collapse.
