Ugandan woman killed as marrum pit collapses during church project

A church construction project turned tragic on Tuesday when a 32-year-old woman was killed after a mound of marrum collapsed on her in Pader District, northern Uganda, authorities said.

Grief swept through the Chosen Evangelical Church in Palwo Parish after the death of Patricia Adeno, a resident of Gwang Kolo Cell in Pajule Town Council, who had joined fellow worshippers to excavate soil for the church’s new building.

The incident happened at about 10 am in Aringagwa Village, Lapul Sub-County. Police said Adeno was rushed to Pajule Health Centre IV but was declared dead on arrival.

According to Mr David Oringa, the Palwo Parish Chairperson, Adeno had taken a short rest after digging when the mound of soil suddenly gave way.

“Attempts to save Adeno’s life were futile since she died from her injuries,” he told police.

Her body remained at the health centre mortuary on Tuesday pending a post-mortem.

In a statement, IP Joe Oloya, spokesperson for the Aswa East Region Police, confirmed that church members had gone to the site to dig marrum — a type of red soil widely used in construction — for their building project.

“It is alleged that on December 2, 2025, at about 1000hrs, the deceased and other church members… were to the village to dig marrum for the church,” IP Oloya said.

He added that Adeno had chosen to rest at the spot they had already excavated when “unfortunately, it collapsed and buried her.”

“Friends made efforts to remove the soil from her and rushed her to Pajule Health Centre IV for medical attention, but unfortunately, she passed on,” he said.

A police team led by IP Jimmy Omara visited the site and opened inquiries into the fatal incident.

Authorities have warned residents against engaging in risky manual excavation without safety precautions. The booming demand for marrum, used for roads, foundations, and other construction, has contributed to increasingly unsafe mining practices, police noted.

In May, a tipper driver identified as Ronald died on the spot after a pit collapsed on him in Labora, on the outskirts of Gulu City. A similar collapse in September 2022 left two teenagers in critical condition in the same area while digging for soil to earn money.

Police say such incidents highlight growing dangers in communities where informal marrum excavation has intensified without regulation or protective measures.

As investigations continue, Adeno’s death has renewed calls for tighter oversight and community awareness to prevent further tragedies linked to unregulated soil mining.