Three Dead, Four Injured in Ebonyi Mining Pit Collapse

On Saturday, a tragic incident occurred in Enyim Agalegu, a community located in the Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, when a mining pit collapsed, claiming the lives of three individuals.

In addition to the deceased, four others sustained injuries as a result of the collapse.

Reports indicate that the pit was under the mining lease of First Patriots Limited, previously known as Royal Salt, where it is alleged that illegal mining operations were in progress.

Collins Oboke, the National Chairperson of the Enyim Agalegu Edukwu Opeke Federated Union, verified the details of the incident to the media at the site on Sunday.

He stated, "We evacuated some overburden on top of some lifeless people, like three of them, and we rescued about four that were injured." Oboke recounted that after receiving a distress call around 4 p.m. on Saturday, he promptly mobilized local community members to the scene.

The community had previously expressed concerns regarding the site, having formally requested to take over the area for regulated mining after the completion of work on the main pit.

Oboke explained, "We engaged them (the company) in writing, even to the state commissioner for solid minerals, but they said no. So we, the leadership of the community, backed off from the agitation."

He lamented the loss, emphasizing that this recent tragedy raised the total number of fatalities at the site to five.

In a related statement, Chidi Onyi, the Commissioner for Solid Minerals Development in Ebonyi State, expressed his sorrow over the event, describing it as unfortunate.

"It is not our interest or intention to lose any of our people who are under our care," he mentioned, extending condolences to the affected families. Onyi attributed the frequency of mining-related accidents to illegal operations fueled by greed.

He clarified that the site remains active and that neither the state nor federal government had knowledge of its abandonment, noting community requests aimed at securing part of the site for local mining.

However, he explained that the ministry was unable to grant such requests as the land fell under a private mining lease. Onyi added, "The company flat-out refused, citing safety concerns that artisans should not work in a dangerous pit like this."

He pointed out that the problem persists as youths often sneak into the mining site, against the wishes of the company, leading to dangerous situations.

The lawmaker representing Ikwo North Constituency, Ifeanyi Nwakpu, also confirmed being alerted about the collapse and contacted relevant authorities immediately.

As of now, three bodies have been recovered and taken to a mortuary, while the four injured individuals are receiving medical aid at a local healthcare facility.

Nwakpu mentioned, "Currently, I am aware of three deceased individuals and four others who are injured." However, it remains unclear whether they were company employees or artisanal miners.

He had earlier advised the company to either secure the pit effectively or close it if not in use to prevent further tragedies.

In discussing the enforcement of safety at the mining site, Stephen Eze, the Chief Security Officer of First Patriots Limited, mentioned past attempts to prevent illegal mining activities, which were obstructed by local youths who threatened unrest if the company sought to secure the site.

Eze explained, "They come both at night and in the day. And when they are there, you cannot fire at them because it is dangerous, and we do not want to cause further harm."