A gold mining pit collapsed on Thursday at Kadauri in Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State, leaving more than 100 artisanal miners feared dead.
Survivors and residents said scores of people were trapped underground when the pit caved in. Rescue operations were still ongoing as of late Thursday night.
Sanusi Auwal, a local resident taking part in the rescue efforts, confirmed that at least 13 bodies had been recovered, including that of his cousin. “Over 100 miners were involved during the collapse,” he said.
One survivor, Isa Sani, who is receiving treatment for injuries, said: “We are lucky to be rescued alive. Out of more than 100 people, only 15 of us were rescued.”
Officials of the Zamfara State Miners Association also confirmed the incident. Muhammadu Isa, representing the group, said some of the rescuers lost their lives after suffocating while trying to reach those buried underground.
Efforts to get comments from the Zamfara police spokesperson, Yazid Abubakar, were unsuccessful as he did not respond to calls or text messages.
Illegal mining is widespread in Zamfara, where armed groups often control gold fields. The activities have not only fueled insecurity but also made accidents such as this frequent and deadly.
