Following reports of a mine pit collapse in Kadauri Village, Maru, Zamfara State, the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, deployed federal mines officers in the state to lead rescue operations.

The ministry, in a statement by the Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Segun Tomori, said the collapse was triggered by heavy rainfall and aggravated by the unlawful activities of illegal miners.

It said at least 15 itinerant mine workers were trapped by the collapse, adding that 13 bodies had been recovered.

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“Efforts are on course to recover the remaining two, still trapped in the rubble,” the ministry said.

‘Tragedy Avoidable’

According to the state, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, bemoaned the tragedy, describing the loss of lives as both avoidable and unfortunate.

He said that relevant departments of the ministry have been mobilised to aid rescue operations and unearth the circumstances leading to the incident.

“I received with deep shock the report of the unfortunate incident in Zamfara, which has unfortunately resulted in some casualties. Our first responders have been mobilised to the site and are working with officials of the state government on rescue operations, after which the site will be sealed off,” the minister was quoted as saying.

The ministry explained that preliminary investigations revealed that the area is characterised by loose sand and traces of gold, making it suitable for alluvial mining.

It noted that once gold traces were discovered, illegal miners mobilised itinerant workers who rushed to the site with rudimentary tools, disregarding the environmental and safety risks inherent to the terrain.

Mining Marshals

In a bid to tackle illegal mining, the ministry said that Alake launched the mining marshals over a year ago, and their operations led to the arrest of over 300 illegal miners across 10 states and the FCT and the sealing of 98 illegal mining sites.

“Efforts to expand the scope of their operations across the country and bolster their capacity with more boots on the ground and logistics are underway.

“However, Zamfara presents a unique challenge due to its history of banditry prior to the current administration.

“The Tinubu administration is tackling the issue decisively through military clearance operations coordinated by the National Security Adviser (NSA). In light of improved security in the state, the Minister in December 2024 announced the lifting of the ban on exploration mining activities in Zamfara.

“Since then, the Federal Government has intensified security operations in the state and in the North-west region to ensure that full mining operations resume in earnest,” the ministry said in the statement.