Two persons died allegedly from suffocation after being buried in sand at an excavation site in Enugu state.
The Enugu State Police Command Public Relations Officer, DSP Ebere Amaraizu confirmed the incident in a statement issued on Sunday.
Amaraizu said that the tragedy reportedly occurred on Saturday at a sand excavation site within Gariki Ugwuoba in Oji River Local Government Area of Enugu, Enugu state.
He explained that when the deceased persons were busy excavating sand they suddenly got buried as the sand they were excavating caved in and ‘allegedly covered them.’
Amaraizu said that the incident threw people at the site into shock and mourning as they could not explain how the tragedy occurred.
The police spokesman said that the identity of the victims are yet to be ascertained but sources revealed that they hailed from Nibo in Awka South local Government Area of Anambra State but excavated sand into tipper trucks at the site.
He said that their corpses were later recovered with the assistance of the Oji River Police operatives who had contacted an excavator that assisted to recover their lifeless bodies from the scene.
Amaraizu added that the remains of the victims have been deposited at the mortuary of General Hospital Oji River “for autopsy and further necessary action.”