Four people have been confirmed dead, and several others injured from an explosion at a mining site in Sabon Pegi, Mashegu Local Government Area of Niger State.
The incident occurred on Sunday morning as miners resumed work at the site.
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The cause of the explosion remains unclear, but residents of the area suspect it may be linked to the improper handling of explosive devices by the mining company operating at the site.
Community sources confirmed the recovery of four bodies after the explosion, but the exact number of casualties remains unknown, with fears that the death toll may rise.
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A resident, Aminu, narrated the incident to journalists: “The explosion occurred just as the miners were resuming work. Everyone is afraid to go near the site now because we don’t know what triggered the explosion, and there’s fear it might happen again.”
He added that the blast was so loud that many initially thought it came from the hydroelectric dam in the area.
“People were running into the bush in panic before it was confirmed that the explosion occurred at the mining site in Sabon Pegi, which borders some villages in Borgu Local Government Area,” Mr Aminu said.
Another resident said the mining companies frequently use explosive devices in their operations, which could have caused the explosion.
“While there’s a history of terrorist activities in this area, this particular incident is not linked to terrorism. Mining has been going on here for a long time, and the use of explosives is common,” he explained.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the state government nor security agencies had issued any official statement regarding the incident.
Updates will be provided as more details emerge.
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