Efforts to dig out around 30 miners trapped when an artisanal mining pit collapsed in Nigeria's Niger state have been hampered by threats from armed bandits operating in the region, an emergency official said on Wednesday.
Dozens of miners employed by a local mining company were working late on Sunday in a huge pit in the village of Galkogo in Shiroro district when it fell in and trapped them, Abdullahi Baba Ara, head of the Niger State Relief Agency, said.
"We had planned to deploy to the area, but we were asked not to by security personnel due to the insecure nature of the area as a result of the presence of bandits," Ara said.
Shiroro is one of several districts in Niger State terrorised by bandits who raid remote villages, loot and burn homes, and kidnap residents for ransom.
'More than 30 trapped'
"From the information available to us, more than 30 miners are trapped in the pit, which collapsed on them as they were working inside," Ara said.
"Seven people have been removed with severe injuries while rescue work is ongoing to save the rest," he said.
The exact number of trapped miners was not clear, and rescue officials were struggling to reach the area due to threats from heavily armed criminal gangs, known locally as bandits.
Minerals like gold, tantalite, and lithium are mined in the area.
Difficult terrain
Rescue operations were also being hampered by limited equipment due to the difficult terrain.
Last year, the Niger state government banned mining activities in Shiroro, Munya, and Rafi districts due to insecurity and safety concerns.
But artisanal miners ignored the ban and continued to mine to raise money for food and other essentials after bandit raids displaced many from their homes and their farmlands.
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