Thirteen people were killed when a mining site collapsed in Bassa County of Plateau, Nigeria, officials confirmed on Monday.
Dr. Joshua Riti, Bassa County chairman, reported the incident, which happened last Saturday, to journalists in Jos. He expressed sorrow over the tragedy and noted that seven of the deceased were from Bassa.
“This is an unfortunate incident, these young people were only out in search of a means of livelihood,” Riti said. “They went out to put their energies to good use to sustain and meet up with the current economic hardship in the country but met their untimely death.”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the collapsed mining site lies on the boundaries of Bassa, Jos South, and Jos North Counties. Many of the victims were reportedly youths between the ages of 18 and 30.
Riti extended his “deepest condolences to the families and loved ones affected by this tragedy.”
—Ezinwanne Onwuka reports for TruthNigeria from Abuja.
