A boulder crushed an illegal mine in northern Nigeria’s Zamfara state during heavy rains, leaving at least 18 dead, rescuers reported. The collapse occurred Thursday at a newly dug mining site near Kadauri village, burying dozens of miners under tons of rock and debris.
Rescue efforts have been slow and laborious, with workers using only their bare hands to chisel holes for limited access to survivors. Sani Lawwali, a miner involved in the rescue, said five injured miners were pulled from the pit, while a dozen others remain trapped.
Local community leader Abubakar Nabube confirmed 18 deaths, noting 15 of the victims came from nearby Maikwanugga and Damaga villages. Lawwali said rescuers requested a bulldozer from a nearby road construction site to speed operations, but the company has not responded.
Residents described chaos at the scene as rain pounded the site, triggering the collapse of a massive boulder into the pit. Sani Abdullahi, a local councillor, said authorities cannot determine the exact number of miners still trapped beneath the rubble.
Officials from Nigeria’s emergency agency NEMA have yet to comment on the disaster or provide assistance details. Zamfara state, rich in gold deposits, suffers frequent accidents at illegal artisanal mining sites despite repeated government crackdowns. The tragedy underscores the dangers faced by miners in the region, where poverty drives people to work in unregulated and hazardous conditions.