….One dead, six others injured
From John Adams Minna
About 50 Miners are said to have been trapped underground after a mining pit collapsed in Galkogo community, Shiroro local government area of Niger State.
The mining site said to belongs to a company, “African Minerals and logistics limited” collapsed on Sunday evening after a heavy downpour, leaving the 50 Miners buried underground.
Among those being trapped since on Sunday night is the site manager of the mining company, Alhaji Ibrahim Ishaku.
It was gathered that a middle age man whose name was given as i i Kuta and who is the Chief security officer to the mining company, died while trying to rescue some of the victims.
Six people were eventually rescued with various degree of injuries and are said to be receiving treatment at a government health facility in the area.
It was further gathered that while manual rescue operation was ongoing, another portion of the mining pit caved in, forcing the rescuers to abandoned the rescue operation and run for their lives.
As at the time of filing this report (Tuesday) all the 50 victims were still being trapped underground, fueling fears that they may have been killed by the collapse pit.
The Public Relation officer (PRO) of the state emergency management agency, Mallam Hussaini Ibrahim who confirmed the incident in a statement in Minna on Tuesday said “due to the unacceptable nature of that environment as a result of banditry, the information of the incident is very scanty, including rescue operations”.
The PRO however disclosed that excavators have been deployed to the scene for the rescue operations.
He also confirmed bandits attacks on Adogo Mallam village in Mashegun local government area of the state on Sunday night where six persons were kidnapped and Tunga Kawo village in Erena ward of Shiroro local government where over 20 persons were also kidnapped with hundreds of cows rustled.