Four miners reportedly die after pit collapse in Plateau

Four miners were reportedly killed after a pit collapsed in the Baban Rafi area of Bokkos Local Government Area, Plateau State, Channels Television reported. The incident occurred on Tuesday while the victims were inside the pit mining tin, according to Daniel Tula, the Bokkos youth leader. He said the victims were two men and two women and that they were trapped when the pit caved in.

Tula told a Channels Television correspondent by telephone that the miners were later buried by their relatives. He said the circumstances surrounding the collapse were still being established and described the reported incident as the first of its kind in the area. The account had not been formally confirmed by the Plateau State Police Command.

Its public relations officer, SP Alfred Alabo, said the command had not received an official report and had not been briefed about the reported deaths. Alabo said miners often failed to report such incidents to police, making it difficult for the command to immediately establish what had happened. He promised to provide further details after receiving a formal briefing.

Efforts to obtain a response from the Bokkos local government chairman were unsuccessful, as he did not respond to calls, Channels Television said. The reported deaths have renewed concerns over safety hazards linked to mining in Plateau communities.