At least 13 miners have been confirmed dead, while many others remain trapped after a gold mining pit collapsed in Kadauri village, Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State, on Thursday.

Eyewitnesses said the collapse occurred suddenly while scores of artisanal miners were working underground. One of the survivors, Sani Hassan, recounted how he narrowly escaped death. According to him, he had stepped out of the pit to drink water just minutes before the site caved in, burying several of his colleagues alive.

“I was inside the pit earlier, but I came out to fetch water. Moments later, the pit collapsed and trapped the miners inside. There were more than 30 people working there. Eleven bodies were pulled out immediately, and many more are still inside,” Hassan said.

Rescue efforts were immediately launched by fellow miners and villagers. Another rescuer, Sanusi Auwal, who lost a cousin in the tragedy, told Reuters that no fewer than 13 bodies had been recovered by Friday. He added that more than 100 people were in the pit when it collapsed.

“We are lucky to be alive. Out of over 100 miners, only 15 of us managed to escape,” said another survivor, Isa Sani, who is currently receiving treatment for injuries sustained during the incident.

The Chairman of the Zamfara State Miners Association, Muhammadu Isa, confirmed the disaster, describing it as one of the deadliest in recent years. He lamented the unsafe mining practices that often expose artisanal miners to grave risks.

As of Friday evening, rescue operations were still ongoing, with local volunteers struggling to dig through rubble using basic tools. Authorities have yet to issue an official statement, as repeated attempts to reach the state police spokesperson, DSP Yazid Abubakar, were unsuccessful.

Mining pit collapses are common in Zam