At least 100 people are feared dead after a gold mining pit collapsed in Nigeria’s Zamfara State, according to survivors and local residents on Friday.
The pit at the Kadauri mining site in the Maru local government area caved in on Thursday while scores of artisanal miners were working underground, witnesses told Reuters. Rescue operations continued into Friday.
15 Rescued
Sanusi Auwal, a local resident involved in rescue efforts, said at least 13 bodies had been retrieved from the rubble, including that of his cousin. “Over 100 miners were involved during the collapse,” Auwal told Reuters by phone.
“We are lucky to be rescued alive. Out of more than 100 people, only 15 of us were rescued,” said Isa Sani, who is currently receiving treatment for injuries.
Muhammadu Isa of the Zamfara State miners association confirmed the incident, adding that some rescuers also suffocated while trying to dig out victims.
Zamfara police spokesperson Yazid Abubakar did not immediately respond to calls and text messages seeking comment.
Illegal mining is common in Zamfara, where armed gangs often control gold fields, fuelling violence and deadly accidents.
Indonesia Mine Accident
Indonesia’s government has reached an agreement with Freeport Indonesia to halt operations at the Grasberg mine to give priority to the search for trapped workers, the country’s mining minister said on Friday.
A large mud flow earlier this month trapped seven workers at the Grasberg Block Cave underground mine. Two of the workers were found dead on September 20, Freeport said.
Production at Freeport Indonesia, which is majority owned by Indonesia’s government but operated by U.S. mining giant Freeport McMoRan, has not resumed after the incident, and the stoppage is impacting both output and revenue, minister Bahlil Lahadalia told reporters.
Asked when production would be resumed, Bahlia said the government and Freeport will discuss the matter.
He added that Indonesia and Freeport had also discussed extending its mining permit beyond 2041.
Freeport-McMoRan on Wednesday declared force majeure at the Grasberg mine and said it was expecting consolidated sales to be lower for copper and gold in the third quarter.
The announcement has sent copper prices in Shanghai to a six-month high on Tuesday due to concerns about tight supply.
The company said a phased restart and ramp-up of operations at Grasberg, one of the world’s largest gold and copper mines, may occur in the first half of 2026.
(With inputs from Reuters)
