4 killed as mining pit collapses in Zamfara

Posted by admin State News, Zamfara Thursday, October 27th, 2011

No fewer than four people were said to have died following the collapse of a mining pit at the controversial mining site in Dareta Village, Anka Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
Close source who was at the scene of the incident, told Daily Sun that the urgly situation occured on Thursday around midnight when the deceased were struggling to get to their daily bread at Dareta Village.

“ The miners were extracting gold and other mineral deposit on over one hundred metres benearth the earth when the pit collapsed. It occured at about 1. am midnight.” When contacted through his GSM line,the state Commissioner for Enviroment and Solid Mineral Development, Muktar Muhammed Lugga said he was at the scene of the incident,but helpless eight hours after the happening.“We did all what was possible to support the victims in a rescue operation,including provision of excavator,but it was unfortunate the excavator could not get to the scene in time to rescue them.”

According to him,the state government through his ministry has already commenced the reorganisation of the small-scale miners with the hope to protect them in their business, which we hope such incident may not occure again.”
It could be recalled that last year no fewer than 400 people were reported to have died as a result of lead poisoning in some villages of Anka and Bukuyyum Local Government Areas in the state. Following the contamination of the soil in the affected nining areas in the state,non governmental organisations from outside world has assisted the areas with medicine and expertise advice on illegal mining.

-Sunwp_posts