Niger: 16 Still Trapped After Four Days in Mining Site Collapse

Galadima-Kogo locals have urged the federal government to send out contemporary equipment to free trapped miners in the Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger.

Recall that on Monday, a mining site collapsed in the Nigerian hamlet of Galadima-Kogo, in the Shiroro Council Area, trapping multiple people and killing one.

Six of the twenty persons who had been initially trapped in the mining pit have been retrieved alive, according to Wasiu Abiodun, the spokesperson for the Police Command in Niger.

In a Friday interview with NAN, a few locals voiced concerns about the speed at which the rescue effort was proceeding.

According to Abubakar Sani, the outdated equipment being used was the reason why the rescue effort was moving slowly.

“We had to engage local miners to use their local tools to excavate the earth when we realised the equipment being used to do so was ineffective.

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“The region is rough, and the pit is incredibly deep—it is as deep as three electricity poles.

“The locals were asked to stop the rescue operation to avert another disaster because the soil is soft due to rainfall,” he said.

Noting that some of the trapped miners might still be alive, he urged the Federal Government to send specialised equipment to the mining site.

Samson Felix, a different resident, stated that in order to rescue the trapped miners, the government should always back up its statements with experienced personnel and specialised equipment.

He revealed that one of the imprisoned miners is his friend, and he said that most of them were involved in mining as a result of frequent bandit raids.

Because bandits forbid us from farming and regularly attack our farmlands, many of our people are afraid to go farming.

“As the bandits target farmers rather than miners, some of our people chose to go into mining to support themselves,” he stated.

He said that it was not a good idea to deploy an excavator for rescue operations since it would injure the people who were trapped.

In the meantime, the people have been ordered to cease rescue efforts in order to prevent another calamity, according to Malam Habibu Wushishi, Director of Media and Strategy, Niger Ministry for Humanitarian Affairs and calamity Management.