Plateau tin pit collapse kills seven miners

On August 12, 2026, a mining pit collapsed at Kassa community in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Nigeria — Plateau State, Nigeria, killing seven miners and injuring several others. The incident occurred around 7 p.m. while the miners were working at the site. Residents and fellow miners attempted rescue, but the victims were found dead. The collapse has renewed concerns about safety at informal and artisanal mining sites in Nigeria — Plateau State, which has thousands of abandoned pits. In response, Nigeria's Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Henry Dele Alake, warned illegal miners against working in abandoned pits without licenses, urging them to form cooperatives and obtain permits. He also announced initiatives to reclaim abandoned pits, including a public-private partnership using GIS satellite mapping and AI, and the activation of the Environmental Protection and Rehabilitation Fund to ensure mining companies contribute to pit rehabilitation. The incident follows a February 2026 explosion at a mining site in Wase LGA that killed at least 33 people, highlighting ongoing regulatory and safety challenges in the sector.