Three illegal miners have been reportedly buried alive while excavating and loading sand at Unguwar Tandu village, Karu, the headquarters of Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
The Deputy Chairman of Union of Tipper and Quarry Employers, Aminu Sunusi, who confirmed the incident to Daily Trust, disclosed that three persons lost their lives while one person who survived is currently receiving treatment at yet to be identified hospital.
He said, “The deceased were excavating sand to load on a ‘tipper’ lorry at the site in Unguwar Tandu, a few kilometres to Keffi but located in Karu Local Government when the sand slided and covered them.
“Dead bodies of the victims were later recovered after engaging the services of an excavator.”
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Speaking further to our correspondent who visited the scene of the incident, Deputy Chairman of Tipper Union and Quarry Employers Association of Nigeria, Keffi Branch, Aminu Sunusi described the first ever incident in the history of the mining activities in Unguwar Tandu village as “tragic and unfortunate”.
According to him, the recovered bodies had been buried according to Islamic rites.
Mohammed Nasir, survivor and Aruwa Maikasuwa, one of the deceased’s fathers said they were yet to recover from the tragedy in their community.
Efforts at getting the police or the state ministry of environment and solid mineral resources to comment on the incident proved abortive at the time of filing this report.
