One person is feared dead while five others remain trapped following the collapse of a section of a private rice mill in Birnin Kebbi, the Kebbi State capital, on Tuesday.
The incident occurred at the NIA-AGRI rice mill, where a portion of the facility reportedly gave way, trapping workers beneath heavy metal structures and rubble.
The Kebbi State Deputy Governor, Umar Abubakar Tafida, visited the scene shortly after receiving reports of the collapse and ordered immediate rescue operations. He led a high-powered delegation to the facility for an on-the-spot assessment and to oversee emergency response efforts.
According to information provided to the delegation by the project engineer at the site, at least one staff member lost his life in the incident, while five others were still trapped under the debris as of Tuesday evening.
- SPONSORED: Bauchi APC Welcomes Gratuity Payment, Urges Gov. Bala Mohammed To Complete Payment And To Appreciate President Tinubu for His Bold Reforms
- CSO Urges ATBU to Reinstate Final-Year Student Expelled Over SUG Politics
- NUJ Mourns Eagle Online Publisher, Dotun Oladipo
- Fake PhD: Bauchi APM Governorship Candidate, Adamu, Uses Proxies to Sue WikkiTimes, Demand N1 Billion Damages
- INVESTIGATION: The Hidden Agony of Sickle Cell Warriors – How Nigerian Labs Are Making It Worse (I)
A combined rescue team comprising personnel from the Kebbi State Fire Service and other government emergency response agencies has been working continuously to rescue the trapped victims.
Mr Tafida expressed the state government’s sympathy to the management and staff of the rice mill, assuring them that all necessary support would be provided to ensure the successful conclusion of the rescue operation.
The deputy governor said the cause of the collapse had yet to be established, adding that a full investigation would be conducted after the rescue phase to determine what led to the incident.
As of the time of filing this report, the fate of the five trapped workers remained unknown, with rescue efforts still ongoing.
