Twenty people have been confirmed dead from the collapsed mine in the Galkago community of the Shiroro district in Niger state, with fourteen more individuals still trapped and awaiting rescue.
This information was provided by Shawulu Danmamman, the Commissioner of Police for the Niger State Command, who visited the mine site on Wednesday.
The incident, which occurred on Monday, is believed to have been caused by torrential rains that softened the soil.
Hussaini Ibrahim, spokesman for the Niger State Emergency Service Agency, initially reported one confirmed fatality and multiple injuries, with 30 individuals, including the site manager, trapped as a mining pit collapsed.
During his inspection of the mine, the police commissioner remarked that the operators of the collapsed mining site had disregarded safety measures and the welfare of the laborers.
The commissioner was joined by the State Commissioner of Homeland Security, Bello Muhammad, and the Commissioner of Solid Minerals, Garba Auna.
During his inspection, it was also discovered that there were no ambulances or equipped medical kits on-site, nor were there personnel available to attend to laborers in case of emergencies.
Danmamman announced that a formal investigation into the accident has been initiated.
