No fewer than 13 people have been confirmed dead following the collapse of a mining pit in Kadauri village, Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
Eyewitnesses said the incident occurred on Thursday while over 100 artisanal miners were inside the pit in search of gold.
One of the survivors, Sani Hassan, told journalists that he narrowly escaped the tragedy after stepping out of the site to fetch water moments before the collapse.
“Immediately I left, the pit caved in and buried several of my colleagues. We managed to recover some bodies, but many are still trapped inside,” he said.
Another resident involved in the rescue, Sanusi Auwal, said at least 13 bodies had been pulled out, including that of his cousin. “Out of more than 100 people, only 15 of us were rescued alive,” he added.
Officials of the Zamfara State Miners Association confirmed the incident but declined to give casualty figures. The state police command has yet to issue an official statement.
Mining accidents are frequent in Zamfara, where unregulated artisanal gold mining has flourished despite government bans. Poor safety standards, lack of oversight, and desperation for income continue to expose thousands of young men to life-threatening risks.
Zamfara has also been the epicentre of violent conflict linked to mining, with bandit groups exploiting illegal operations for revenue.
The latest incident underscores growing concerns about weak enforcement of mining regulations and the absence of emergency response systems in rural communities.
Rescue operations were still ongoing as of Saturday morning, with residents using crude tools to dig through the rubble.
