At least 18 miners lost their lives in northern Nigeria’s Zamfara state after a massive boulder crashed into an illegal mining site during heavy rainfall, rescuers confirmed.
The tragedy struck Thursday at a freshly dug pit near Kadauri village, where dozens of miners were buried under tons of rock and mud.
Rescue efforts have been painfully slow, with workers relying on their bare hands to dig through the rubble in hopes of reaching survivors.
Sani Lawwali, one of the miners helping in the rescue, said five injured miners were pulled out alive, while about a dozen others remain trapped underground.
Local leader Abubakar Nabube confirmed the death toll, adding that 15 of the victims were from the nearby communities of Maikwanugga and Damaga.
Lawwali also noted that rescuers had requested a bulldozer from a road construction site close by to quicken the operation, but the company has yet to respond.
Witnesses described scenes of panic and chaos as pounding rains weakened the ground and sent a huge boulder crashing into the pit, sealing off escape routes for those inside
