At least eleven children have died in the northern Nigerian state of Kaduna after a heap of sand collapsed on them as they dug clay from a pit.
The incident happened in the village of ‘Yardoka in Kubau area on Monday, local media reported.
The deceased were Quranic school pupils locally known as almajirai, aged between 10 and 15, who were reportedly assigned by their teacher to fetch clay for mud bricks. Seven other children were rushed to hospital for various degrees of injuries.
“Nine of the deceased were not from Yardoka but were almajirai who had come with their teacher to study. They were not making blocks for sale; the area is commonly used by villagers for sand digging when constructing or renovating homes,” a local chief told Nigeria’s Daily Trust newspaper.
Police spokesperson in Kaduna state, Mansir Hassan, told local media that security agents were deployed to the scene immediately after receiving a distress call. Authorities have launched an investigation following the incident.
Sand pit collapse leading to multiple deaths are uncommon in Nigeria. But the mineral-rich country has suffered mine collapses in recent years.
.JPG?width=256&format=webp&quality=80)
