The search continues to free miners trapped after the collapse of an illegal mining site in the north of the country. At least 18 people have lost their lives.

Nigeria has been the scene of a new tragedy. At least 18 bodies of artisanal miners have been pulled from a mine that collapsed during heavy rains in the northern state of Zamfara, according to local sources. Rescuers are reportedly still searching for dozens of trapped miners.

On Thursday morning, a rock collapsed on an illegal mine during heavy rains near the village of Kadauri in Maru district, four local sources told AFP. Abubakar Nabube, a local community leader, said that "18 bodies were found in the mining pit," including 15 from the neighboring villages of Maikwanugga and Damaga. "We managed to extract 18 bodies from the mine and five other survivors who suffered varying degrees of injury," said Sani Lawwali, an artisanal miner from Kadauri village.

A huge rock collapsed

Dozens of other miners were still trapped inside and their fate remains unknown, added Sani Lawwali, who participated in the rescue operation. Zayyanu Ibrahim, another resident of Kadauri village, said the collapsed pit, which "could accommodate dozens of miners," was one of several recently dug pits in the newly created mining site.

"Dozens of miners were working in the pit while it was raining heavily outside. A huge rock at the entrance to the pit collapsed and buried the miners inside," said Zayyanu Ibrahim, who gave the same death toll. According to Sani Abdullahi, a local councilor, it is difficult to say how many people were in the pit at the time of the accident.

A “laborious” rescue

“The process is slow and laborious, as we cut through the rock with our bare hands to make holes to access the mine,” Sani Lawwali explained. The rescuers, mostly artisanal miners, have asked a construction company working on a nearby road to provide them with a bulldozer to speed up the work, but they have not yet received a response.

"The rescuers are tired, they are using rudimentary tools to dig," said Abubakar Nabube. "If emergency services don't come to their aid quickly, none of the trapped miners will get out alive." Officials at Nigeria's emergency agency NEMA did not respond to AFP's request for information about the accident.