At least a hundred individuals are feared dead after a gold mining pit collapsed in Zamfara State, Nigeria, as reported by survivors and locals on Friday. The incident occurred at the Kadauri mining site in the Maru local government area on Thursday while numerous artisanal miners were underground, witnesses informed Reuters. Rescue operations extended into Friday.
Sanusi Auwal, a resident assisting in the rescue operations, disclosed that at least 13 bodies, including that of his cousin, had been recovered from the debris. Auwal, speaking to Reuters via phone, stated, “Over 100 miners were present during the collapse.”
Isa Sani, who is currently receiving medical care for his injuries, expressed gratitude for being rescued alive, mentioning, “Out of the 100 plus individuals, only 15 of us were saved.”
Muhammadu Isa from the Zamfara State miners association verified the incident, noting that some rescuers also faced suffocation while attempting to extract victims from the rubble.
Yazid Abubakar, the Zamfara police spokesperson, did not respond immediately to requests for comments via calls and text messages.
Illegal mining is prevalent in Zamfara, where armed groups often dominate gold fields, leading to violence and fatal accidents.