Zamfara gold mining pit collapse leaves over 100 feared dead

At least 100 people are feared dead after a gold-mining pit collapsed on Thursday night at the Kadauri mining site in Maru local government area of Zamfara State, residents and survivors said, as rescue teams continued operations into Friday. Local officials confirmed that several artisanal miners were trapped but gave no firm casualty figures, and the scale of the disaster remained unclear.

The collapse occurred while scores of artisanal miners were working underground, survivors said. Sanusi Auwal, a resident involved in the rescue effort, said at least 13 bodies had been recovered, including that of his cousin. "Over 100 miners were involved during the collapse," Auwal said. Another survivor receiving treatment, Isa Sani, said only a small number escaped. "We are lucky to be rescued alive. Out of more than 100 people, only 15 of us were rescued," he said.

The executive secretary of the Zamfara State Emergency Management Agency, Bala Ahmad, confirmed on Friday that mining pits had collapsed in the Kadauri community and that several artisanal miners were trapped. He said he was meeting with stakeholders and would release further details in due course. Local community leaders...