The collapse of a mine on Sunday in central Nigeria, after heavy rains, left one person dead and at least thirty people are still trapped underground for four days.
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It is in Niger State, located in the center of Nigeria, that a large artisanal mine collapsed on Sunday evening while dozens of employees were working there. A rescue operation rescued seven victims, before another part of the mine collapsed, forcing emergency workers to interrupt the operation to save themselves.
According to Nigerian authorities, the mine was operated by African Minerals and Logistics Limited. The site’s head of security is said to be among those blocked. Operations continue using excavators, but the area remains difficult to access for emergency services. The cause is the insecurity of the Shiroro district in which the mine is located.
Mining banned due to armed groups
Kidnappings of armed groups are frequent there. According to emergency services, twenty people have been kidnapped in the village of Tunga Kawo and six others in Adogo Mallam in recent days.
Nigeria’s Minister for Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, announced that mining inspection officials had been dispatched to the site. He promises to investigate the causes of the disaster to prevent it from happening again in the future.
Despite the ban on mining in Shiroro district due to security concerns, several sites are still in operation.