Zamfara Tragedy: Eight Killed, Dozens Feared Trapped as Illegal Mining Site Collapses

At least eight miners have died and several others remain trapped after an illegal mining pit collapsed in Jabaka, Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

The disaster struck around 8 a.m. on Thursday, September 25, while dozens of workers were inside the site, according to security analyst Zagazola Makama, who confirmed the incident in a statement shared on Friday.

Emergency teams, led by the Commander of the Anti-Illegal Mining Unit, rushed to the scene and recovered eight bodies. Several injured miners were also pulled out alive and taken to the General Hospital in Maru for treatment.

Rescue operations continued into Friday amid fears that more miners were still buried under the rubble. Authorities have not disclosed the total number of people working at the site when the collapse occurred.

Illegal mining remains a major safety and security challenge in Zamfara, a state at the heart of Nigeria’s gold belt. Despite periodic government crackdowns, hundreds of locals, driven by poverty and unemployment, continue to risk their lives in unregulated mines, where collapses and fatalities are frequent.

The latest tragedy underscores the urgent need for stronger enforcement and safer alternatives for artisanal miners in the region.