The accident occurred on Thursday, but witness accounts of the fatal incident came only on Saturday. During the accident, a large boulder crashed into the mine in Nigeria's state of Zamfara in the northwestern part of the country.
We have managed to find remains of 18 people from the mine tunnel; five people with various injuries have been rescued, said Sani Lawwali who worked in the illegal mine.
The number of miners who may be inside the mine is unknown, but it may be tens, according to information from miners on site.
It is a laborious task to try to make holes to reach into the mine – we use our hands and chisels, said an informant to the news agency AFP.
Illegal mines are common in Nigeria, and safety arrangements are inadequate in the operation. Extensive rain is believed to have caused the boulder crash.
