Thirteen Nigerians were among many people who died on Tuesday as a gold mine collapsed in Kandango Maradi area, Niger Republic.
Shuaib Mani, Editor-in-Chief, Anfani Radio, Maradi Niger, told Daily Trust that the discovery of gold about seven to eight months ago in the Kandango attracted locals and some Nigerians to the area.
A Nigerian, who identified himself as Abubakar from Zamfara State, said he came in search of greener pasture with his brother.
He said his brother was among the victims and that his parents were not even aware of the incident.
A survivor said the mining holes were carved wrongly. “The place that can accommodate 10 to 15 mining holes have more than 150 to 200 mining holes. It’s not supposed to be so, and this might be the main cause of the collapse.
“We have many of our colleagues beneath the earth, there are people in all these holes you’re seeing that are yet to be excavated. Those that are receiving the golds are the ones that have been excavated, but the real miners are still inside.”
In an interview with Amfani Radio, the governor of Maradi region, Abubakar Shuaib, who visited the site, said the incident would be investigated.
He sympathized with the families of the victims and pray that the souls of the deceased rest in peace.
Mayor of Dan, Issa Adamu Guerau, said: “The provisional death toll is 18 people, whom we buried this morning.
“It’ll surprise you that the rate which people lost their lives in a very short time, we’re in the process of taking action, but you know if something is plenty, it is hard to handle.”
