Seven Suspected Illegal Miners Die In Jos
By Ige Olugbenga
Seven suspected illegal miners died while several others were injured when a section of a mining site collapsed in Waduruk village, Jos, Plateau State last weekend.
Relatives of the victims were said to be reluctant to report the accident to law enforcement agencies for fear of being arrested.
A source in the village told journalists yesterday that three of the victims were members of the same family who had been in the mining business for more than two decades, adding that the other four were hired from the neighbouring village to help them in excavations.
“There were seven of them inside the pit digging the soil in search of solid mineral when the earth layer above caved in and buried all of them,” source said.
The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Assistant Superintendent Tyopev Mathias Terna, said, yesterday, that the command has not been briefed on the incident.
