By Kabir Dan-Katsina, Birnin Kebbi
A section of a building of NIA-AGRIC a private rice mill in Birnin Kebbi in Kebbi State has collapsed, killing one staff member while five others were trapped under the metal wreckage of the facility.
As at the time the Kebbi State Deputy Governor visited the site, rescue efforts were ongoing to save the five trapped victims.
The Kebbi State Government has expressed deep sympathy to the management and staff of NIA-AGRI following the partial collapse of a section of its rice mill in the state capital.
Deputy Governor, Senator Umar Abubakar Tafida, who led a high-powered delegation on an on-the-spot assessment visit to the facility on Tuesday evening, said the visit was aimed at ascertaining the extent of the damage and overseeing the emergency response.
Tragically, the delegation was informed at the site by the Project Engineer that the incident had resulted in at least one fatality. It was further reported that five other individuals remained trapped under the rubble as of the time of the visit, with intensive rescue operations ongoing.
A combined team of the State Fire Service and Government Emergency Response workers has been engaged in continuous efforts to locate and rescue the trapped workers.
The cause of the collapse is yet to be ascertained, even as the Deputy Governor has indicated that a full investigation would be launched once the rescue phase is concluded.
The Kebbi State Government has pledged to continue supporting the rescue operation until all affected individuals are accounted for.
