Five bodies have been recovered from a collapsed mining pit in Mayo-Kam community, Bali Local Government Area of Taraba State, as rescue teams continue searching for possible survivors trapped beneath the debris.
The mining pit reportedly collapsed on Thursday while miners were working at the site, sparking a rescue operation involving local residents and security personnel.
The Taraba State Police Command confirmed the recovery of five bodies but said the final number of casualties remained unclear.
The command’s spokesperson, Victor Msherizar, said rescue operations were still ongoing to determine whether other miners remained trapped underground.
He added that the police would provide further updates as more information emerged from the rescue operation.
Earlier, a resident, Kenneth Ayila, claimed that more than 20 miners were feared trapped or killed in the incident. However, the figure had not been independently confirmed by authorities at the time of filing this report.
Community leader Mallam Usman Bello also confirmed the collapse, saying most of the miners at the site were indigenes of Mayo-Kam, while others reportedly came from neighbouring communities.
The incident has renewed concerns over the safety of mining operations in Taraba, particularly amid previous concerns over illegal or unregulated mining activities in the state.
The Taraba State Government had not issued an official statement on the incident as of the time of filing this report.
