At least 100 people are feared dead following the collapse of a gold mining pit in Nigeria’s Zamfara State, survivors and residents said on Friday.

The pit at the Kadauri mining site in the Maru local government area caved in on Thursday while scores of artisanal miners were working underground, witnesses told Reuters.

Rescue operations continued into Friday.

Sanusi Auwal, a local resident involved in rescue efforts, said at least 13 bodies had been retrieved from the rubble, including that of his cousin. “Over 100 miners were involved during the collapse,” Auwal told Reuters by phone.

Gold miner Yaw Ngoha died a few weeks after this in Ghana in 2019. His body had wasted away so badly he only allowed himself to be filmed on one side.

“We are lucky to be rescued alive. Out of more than 100 people, only 15 of us were rescued,” said Isa Sani, who is currently receiving treatment for injuries.

Muhammadu Isa of the Zamfara State miners association confirmed the incident, adding that some rescuers also suffocated while trying to dig out victims.

Zamfara police spokesperson Yazid Abubakar did not immediately respond to calls and text messages seeking comment.

Illegal mining is common in Zamfara, where armed gangs often control gold fields, fuelling violence and deadly accidents.