At least 100 people are feared dead following the collapse of an artisanal gold mining pit in Kadauri, Zamfara State, Nigeria, according to survivors and residents speaking to Reuters.
At least 100 people are feared dead following the collapse of a gold mining pit in Nigeria’s Zamfara State, survivors and local residents told Reuters. The accident occurred on Thursday at the Kadauri mining site in the Maru local government area while scores of artisanal miners were working underground. Rescue operations continued into Friday.
Sanusi Auwal, a local resident involved in the efforts, confirmed that at least 13 bodies, including that of his cousin, had been recovered. “Over 100 miners were involved during the collapse,” Auwal told Reuters. Another survivor, Isa Sani, stated, “We are lucky to be rescued alive. Out of more than 100 people, only 15 of us were rescued.” Muhammadu Isa of the Zamfara State miners association added that some rescuers tragically suffocated during the attempts to dig out victims. Illegal mining is prevalent in Zamfara, a region often plagued by violence and dangerous accidents.