Nine miners have died after a mining pit at Zurfi Mining Company in Nahuta Village, Gwana District of Alkaleri Local Government Area of Bauchi State, was flooded following heavy rain.
The deceased were identified as Hamidu Ali, 40; Saidu Abubakar, 29; Olije Abdulrazak, 25; Musa Abdullahi, 29; Abdulrahman Mu’azu, 23; Jafar Abbas, 24; Jose Ukese, 28; and Haruna Alkali, 30.
The incident occurred at Pit Three of the mining site on September 25, this year, while contract miners were working underground.
Spokesman, Bauchi Police Command, Nafiu Habib, a Superintendent of Police, confirmed the incident, saying the miners were trapped after water from the downpour entered the pit.
Habib said one of the victims, identified as Abner, was electrocuted during the incident and taken to General Hospital, Kashere, in Akko Local Government Area of neighbouring Gombe State, where he was pronounced dead.
He said the Divisional Police Officer in Alkaleri led a team of detectives to the site, where three water-pumping generators were deployed to drain the flooded pit and aid the rescue operation.
According to him, eight other miners were later brought out of the pit and rushed to the same hospital, but they were pronounced dead by doctors.
The victims were from Nasarawa, Kogi, Bauchi and Kebbi states.
Habib said the bodies were released to their relatives after post-mortem examinations for burial according to Islamic and Christian rites.
He added that investigation into the incident was ongoing