Federal Govt Takes Over Rescue Of Zamfara Mine Collapse Victims

The national authorities has taken complaint of rescue efforts pursuing the tragic illness of a excavation pit successful Kadauri Village, Maru section authorities country of Zamfara State.

Responding swiftly to incidental reports, the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development (MSMD) deployed national mines officers successful Zamfara to coordinate the hunt and rescue operations astatine the site.

According to Segun Tomori, peculiar adjunct connected Media to the Minister, Dr Dele Alake, the illness was triggered by dense rainfall, worsened by the unlawful activities of amerciable miners. At slightest 15 itinerant miners were trapped beneath the rubble. As of the latest reports, 13 bodies person been recovered, sadly with nary survivors, portion efforts proceed to find the remaining two.

Alake described the incidental arsenic some “avoidable and unfortunate,” expressing heavy sorrow implicit the nonaccomplishment of lives.

„I received with heavy daze the study of the unfortunate incidental successful Zamfara, which has unluckily resulted successful immoderate casualties. Our archetypal responders person been mobilised to the tract and are moving with authorities authorities officials connected rescue operations, aft which the tract volition beryllium sealed off,“ the Minister stated.

Preliminary investigations by the Ministry uncover that the area, known for its escaped sandy terrain and golden traces, was being exploited done unsafe alluvial mining by amerciable operators. Once golden was detected, unregulated miners moved successful with rudimentary tools, ignoring biology risks and information protocols.

To combat amerciable mining, the MSMD has intensified enforcement. Dr Alake recalled that implicit the past year, the Mining Marshals initiative—a dedicated information task force—has led to the apprehension of implicit 300 amerciable miners crossed 10 states and the FCT and the sealing of 98 amerciable mining sites. Efforts are ongoing to standard up the marshals‘ beingness and logistics nationwide.

Zamfara, however, presents a unsocial challenge. The portion was plagued by banditry and insecurity for years, hampering ceremonial mining operations. The Tinubu administration, done coordinated subject operations led by the National Security Adviser (NSA), has since made important advancement successful stabilising the area.

In airy of these improvements, Dr Alake announced successful December 2024 the lifting of the prohibition connected mining activities successful Zamfara. Since then, the Federal Government has ramped up information crossed the North West to facilitate the harmless resumption of licensed mining operations.

To further fortify oversight, the Ministry has begun installing outer surveillance systems to alteration real-time monitoring of mining sites nationwide. This volition assistance swift responses to emergencies similar the Zamfara illness and deter amerciable mining.

While awaiting a broad study from the ongoing probe into the Kadauri excavation collapse, the Minister reiterated the government’s steadfast stance:

“We volition not relent until we escaped this state of the nefarious activities of amerciable miners. Despite our immense onshore mass, we stay undaunted. With outer surveillance and different enforcement measures underway, we purpose to trim excavation drastically collapses crossed the state and tighten the noose astir sponsors of amerciable mining,” Alake asserted.

The national authorities extended its condolences to the families of the victims and gave the assurance that each effort is being made to forestall a recurrence of specified tragedies.