One staff member has been confirmed dead, while five others remain trapped, following the partial collapse of a private rice mill in the Birnin Kebbi metropolis, Kebbi State.
The incident occurred at the rice mill operated by NIA-AGRI, where a section of the facility reportedly gave way, leaving workers buried beneath metal debris.
On receiving information about the incident, the Kebbi State Deputy Governor, Senator Umar Abubakar Tafida, visited the site and ordered the immediate commencement of rescue operations to save the trapped victims.
Leading a high-powered government delegation on an on-the-spot assessment visit to the facility on Tuesday evening, the Deputy Governor said the visit was to determine the extent of the damage and to oversee emergency response efforts.
At the site, the delegation was informed by the project engineer that the collapse had resulted in at least one fatality, while five other workers were still trapped under the wreckage as of the time of the visit.
A combined team comprising the Kebbi State Fire Service and government emergency response workers has been carrying out intensive rescue operations to locate and extract the trapped individuals.
The cause of the collapse is yet to be established. Senator Tafida disclosed that a full investigation would be conducted once rescue efforts are concluded.
The Kebbi State Government expressed deep sympathy to the management and staff of NIA-AGRI, assuring that it would continue to support the rescue operation until all affected persons are accounted for.
As of the time of filing this report, the fate of the five trapped workers remains unknown.
