Zamfara, Nigeria, Sept. 26 (Reuters) -At least 100 miners are feared dead after a gold mine collapsed in northwestern Nigeria’s Zamfara State, eyewitnesses and surviving workers told Reuters on Friday.
The collapse occurred on Thursday in the Kadawri area of Maru district, where hundreds of miners were working underground. Witnesses said the mine caved in suddenly, trapping scores of workers beneath the rubble.
Rescue efforts are underway with the help of local residents and the fire service. Rescuer Sanusi Auwal told Reuters that 13 bodies have so far been pulled from the debris. “At least 100 more are still buried under the collapsed site,” he said.
One survivor, miner Isa Sani, described the ordeal: “Those of us who made it out are lucky. But more than a hundred of our colleagues remain trapped inside.”
Muhammadu Isa, head of the local miners’ union, blamed the tragedy on the absence of safety measures at the site. Meanwhile, Zamfara State police spokesperson Yazid Abubakar declined to comment on the incident.