In a heartbreaking incident on Saturday, 13 individuals lost their lives when a mining site collapsed in the Bassa Local Government Area (LGA) of Plateau State. The collapse has once again raised alarms about the risks and human cost of illegal mining activities in Nigeria.
Dr. Joshua Riti, the Chairman of Bassa LGA, confirmed the tragic deaths, expressing his grief over the incident. “This is an unfortunate incident. These young people were only out in search of a means of livelihood. They went out to put their energies to good use to sustain and meet up with the current economic hardship in the country but met their untimely death,” Riti stated in an interview with the press. He extended his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims.
The collapsed mining site is located at the border between Bassa, Jos South, and Jos North LGAs. According to the report, seven of the deceased were from Bassa LGA. Most of the victims were young adults, aged between 18 and 30 years, who had ventured into the site hoping to earn a living amid the economic challenges facing the country. 
Dr. Riti’s message of condolence was accompanied by a call for increased safety measures in mining areas, stressing the urgent need for regulatory oversight to prevent such tragedies in the future.
As Nigeria continues to grapple with illegal mining activities, how can the government and communities work together to protect the lives of young people seeking livelihoods in high-risk industries like mining? What do you think?
