At least five people have been confirmed dead after a mining pit collapsed at Mayo-Kam community in Bali Local Government Area of Taraba State.
Gatekeepers News reports that the incident occurred on Thursday afternoon while miners were reportedly working at the site, leaving several people trapped underground. Initial reports from residents indicated that more than 20 people could have been killed or trapped following the collapse.
Victor Mshelizah, spokesperson for the Taraba State Police Command, confirmed to TheCable on Friday that five bodies had so far been recovered from the site.
He said rescue operations were still ongoing to determine whether more people remained trapped beneath the debris.
“It’s at an illegal mining site at Mayo Kam community under Bali local government,” Mshelizah said, adding that police personnel had been at the scene since Thursday.
The exact number of casualties remained uncertain as rescue and recovery operations continued. Earlier accounts from residents had put the number of people feared dead or trapped at more than 20.
A resident, Kenneth Ayila, said the collapse had plunged the community into mourning, while community leader Usman Bello said most of the victims were believed to be indigenes of Mayo-Kam.
The incident has renewed concerns about illegal and poorly regulated mining activities in Taraba, particularly the safety conditions at mining sites. Reports also indicate that illegal mining operations are banned in the state.
The latest development comes amid another mining-related tragedy in Niger State, where dozens of suspected illegal miners died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps. The Federal Government has ordered an investigation into those deaths.
Authorities in Taraba are expected to establish the final number of casualties as rescue operations continue.
