TWO KILLED AS MINING PIT COLLAPSES IN EBONYI

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BY OWOLABI OLUWADARA

The Ebonyi State Government has announced that it has initiated an inquiry into the collapse of a mining pit in Ihietutu village, located within the Ishiagu community of the Ivo Local Government Area.

The Commissioner for Solid Minerals, Chidi Onyia, made this declaration at the site during a fact-finding mission alongside federal mining officials and security agencies on Friday.

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According to reports from The Media, two individuals lost their lives, while three others sustained varying degrees of injuries when a section of the mining pit collapsed the previous Friday.

The incident has been attributed to negligence on the part of the pit operator, Greenfield Metals Ltd. However, the commissioner noted that preliminary investigations indicated it may have been a case of natural occurrence.

He said, “Mining, like many industries worldwide, comes with hazards. From our preliminary findings, this was a natural occurrence and not a result of negligence.

“Investigation is ongoing by all regulatory bodies, including the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals, police, Department of State Services, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, to ensure transparency.

“If we find recklessness, we will act accordingly. But if it is a natural disaster, we must accept it as such.”

He consequently expressed sympathy for the grieving families, asserting that the location had not been rented to unauthorized miners as alleged.

The commissioner appealed to the public to refrain from exacerbating the sorrow of families through unfounded assertions and reiterated that the state did not endorse illegal mining activities.

“We fully honor the licenses granted by the Federal Government,” he stated.

A community leader, who also serves as the Chairman of the Ihetutu Development Union Board of Trustees, Prince Fabian Chukwu, remarked that the company had significantly empowered many individuals within the community.

“They constructed the road to this site and promptly provided the community with its rightful entitlements.

“That is why we support them during this unfortunate situation,” he added.

The company has since halted operations at the site while awaiting the results of the investigations.