AN explosion at a mining site in Sabon Pegi, located in Mashegun Local Government Area of Niger State, has resulted in the deaths of half a dozen people and left several others injured.
The explosion occurred on Sunday afternoon when miners had resumed work at the site.
The cause of the blast remains unknown, though residents of the Sabon Pegi community have suggested that poor handling of explosive devices by mining companies could be to blame.
Community sources report that four bodies have been recovered from the explosion site.
However, the total number of casualties is still unclear, with further casualties feared, but an exact count is yet to be determined at the time of this report.
Authorities are investigating the incident, and more updates are expected as the situation develops.
One of the residents, identified as Aminu said: “The explosion occurred when the miners were just resuming work in the morning. Everybody is afraid to go close to the area for now because nobody knows what will happen next, especially when we don’t know what must have triggered the explosion that shook the entire village.
“People were just running into the bush because initially, they thought the explosion was from the hydroelectricity dam in the area because it was very loud. It was later that we were told that the explosion occurred at the mining site at Sabon Pegi in Mashegun local government area which shares a border with some villages in Borgu local government area”, he added
Another resident disclosed that the mining companies working in the area usually use explosive devices for mining activities and this may be the cause of the explosion.
“Although there is a history of terrorist activities in the area here this very incident has nothing to do with terrorists. Serious mining activities are going on in that particular village, and it has been a long”, he said.
As of the time of filing this report, the state government or security agencies have yet to make any statements regarding the incident.
