Heavy rains have claimed the lives of nine miners in Bauchi State, prompting the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to place 15 states on a severe flood red alert.
The tragic event happened at a mining pit in Nahuta Village, Alkaleri Local Government Area after a heavy downpour, water rushed into the pit, trapping the workers inside.
According to a report confirmed by the Bauchi State Police Command on Wednesday, the victims were contract workers for Zurfi Mining Company.
Police spokesperson SP Nafiu Habib narrated that the pit flooded around 3:00 p.m. on Friday, September 25. According to the report, rescue teams used water pumps to clear the pit over the weekend. By Monday morning, they recovered eight bodies.
One miner was initially pulled out alive, but he sadly died from electrocution after arriving at a hospital in Gombe State. The deceased workers were young men aged 23 to 40, from Bauchi, Nasarawa, Kogi, and Kebbi states.
Because of the flood disaster nationwide, NEMA has officially put 15 states on red alert. The affected states include Lagos, Rivers, Delta, Bayelsa, Kogi, Benue, and Anambra, among others.
Speaking for NEMA, Halima Dauda Sulaiman warned that floods in Nigeria are becoming much more dangerous to navigate.
“We are not just rescuing people from open water. We are navigating through urban settlements with submerged houses, collapsed walls, live electrical hazards, and panicked populations”.
Citizens living in the 15 marked states are advised to stay alert and relocate from flood hotspot areas immediately in order to mitigate potential crisis.
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