Contrary to earlier reports that more than 20 people were feared dead in the mining pit collapse at Mayo Kam in Bali Local Government Area of Taraba State, eyewitnesses and community sources have put the confirmed death toll at four, with one person rescued alive.
The eyewitnesses, who participated in the rescue operation following Thursday’s collapse, said only five miners were trapped inside the pit when it caved in, with four bodies eventually recovered dead.
One of the rescuers, Umar Ali, told LEADERSHIP that volunteers, security personnel and members of the Kusum Emirate mobilised to search the collapsed pit for possible survivors.
Ali said, the rescue operation lasted two days as rescuers continued digging to ascertain whether other victims were trapped beneath the debris.
“At first, we thought more people were trapped beneath. We had to continue with the rescue operation and dig to the end of the pit to be sure that there was no one left there.
“We kept digging for two days, from the day it happened till the following day, and we were sure that nobody remained there.
“Sincerely, four people were first rescued, while the fifth person, surprisingly, was discovered to be breathing when he was brought out,” he said.
He described the rescue operation as a “terrible situation”, saying the survivor’s escape was a divine intervention and the determination of the rescuers.
Ali said volunteers, security personnel and members of the Kusum Emirate participated in the rescue operation.
He, however said the condition of the recovered bodies made it difficult to immediately establish the identities, ages or places of origin of the deceased.
According to him, the victims were covered in red muddy sand following the collapse, making it difficult to determine whether they were indigenes of the area or miners from outside the community.
“Because the pit collapsed on them and the red muddy sand covered their bodies, we could not identify whether they were indigenes or foreigners. Their ages could also not be estimated, and even their complexions could not be determined.”
Ali further said they were seated when they were alerted that a mining pit had collapsed on some people at Mayo Kam, which prompted them to immediately mobilise for the rescue operation, without asking necessary questions of their whereabout.
He added that the mining site is located on a hill of Mayo Kam, which he maintained because of its difficult terrain only required courage for miners to operate there.
He expressed concern that the incident might not be enough to deter illegal miners from returning to the site.
Similarly, a youth leader from Kankani village, Mr Garrison Godwin, also told LEADERSHIP that reports claiming that about 20 people died in the incident were false.
Godwin said only five people were believed to have been inside the pit when it collapsed, adding that four died while one survived.
“There is a mountain in Mayo Kam where people go to dig for gold. As at the time the pit collapsed, only five people were said to be there.
“When the rescue operation was carried out, only one person was found breathing,” he said.
According to him, security personnel immediately evacuated the survivor for medical attention, while the remains of the four deceased miners were buried in Kusum community.
He explained that the collapsed pit was dug in the form of a well and was not particularly deep, which enabled rescuers to recover the bodies.
He added that the miners had continued their activities despite the rainfall, saying the soil eventually became unstable and collapsed while they were extracting minerals.
“Even when it was raining, they were in the pit extracting minerals. In the process of bringing the minerals out, the softness of the sand caused it to collapse on them,” he said.
Godwin maintained that only five people were trapped in the pit.
“It is not true that 20 people died in the pit. Only five people were trapped and only one survived,” he said.
Efforts by LEADERSHIP to obtain confirmation from the Taraba State Task Force Commander on Illegal Mining, Major A.M. Ghali, the Chairman of Bali Local Government Area, Hon. Habila Bala Balasa and the Taraba State Emergency Management Agency (TSEMA), were unsuccessful as of press time.
The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) was also unavailable for comment.
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