Breaking: Mining Pit Collapses in Top Northern State, Number of Deaths Announced
- A mining pit collapsed at Mayo Kam community in Bali LGA, Taraba state, on Thursday afternoon while miners were working at the site
- Taraba police confirmed 5 deaths so far, with rescue teams still searching for more people believed to be trapped underground
- The collapse came as a separate illegal mining crisis unfolded in Niger state, where 37 arrested miners died in NSCDC custody
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At least five people have died after an illegal mining pit caved in at the Mayo Kam community in Bali Local Government Area of Taraba state on Thursday afternoon, September 17, with rescue teams still working to determine whether more victims remain trapped beneath the rubble.
Victor Mshelizah, the spokesperson for the Taraba state police command, told TheCable on Friday, September 18, that officers have been on the ground since the day of the incident.
Source: Getty Images
"It's at an illegal mining site at Mayo Kam community under Bali local government. So far, only five people have been confirmed dead. But we are trying to find out if there are more people trapped, so we can rescue them. We have men on the ground already and we have been there since yesterday," Mshelizah said.
Reports suggest as many as 20 people may have been trapped when the pit gave way during working hours. The community has been thrown into mourning, with most of the victims said to be locals from the village itself.
Niger state mining deaths
The Taraba disaster follows a separate and alarming incident involving illegal mining in Niger state. Thirty-seven suspected illegal miners, who had been arrested across the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto villages during operations on September 15 and 16, were found dead while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
NSCDC commandant in Niger state, Suberu Aniviye, disclosed the arrests in a statement on Thursday. The federal government has since suspended Aniviye and ordered an investigation into how the detainees died while in custody.
Last moment of illegal miners in Niger
Previously, Legit.ng reported that a survivor of the cell deaths of 33 suspected illegal miners in Niger state has described a desperate scene, claiming the victims repeatedly banged on the walls and screamed for air before they died.
The account came through a relative of one of the survivors, who asked not to be identified for security reasons.
Source: Legit.ng
