One worker has been confirmed dead, while five others are still trapped following the partial collapse of a private rice mill in Birnin Kebbi, the Kebbi State capital.
The incident occurred on Tuesday, prompting an emergency response from state authorities and rescue agencies. The Deputy Governor of Kebbi State, Senator Umar Abubakar Tafida, visited the site alongside government officials to assess the situation and supervise ongoing rescue efforts.
According to the project engineer at the facility, the collapse resulted in at least one fatality, while five workers remained trapped beneath the debris as rescue operations continued.
Teams from the Kebbi State Fire Service and Government Emergency Response units have been working tirelessly at the scene to locate and rescue those still trapped.
The Kebbi State Government expressed deep sympathy to the management and staff of NIA-AGRI, the company operating the rice mill, following the tragic incident.
Deputy Governor Tafida stated that the cause of the collapse has not yet been determined, adding that a full investigation will be conducted once rescue operations are concluded. He assured that the state government would continue to provide full support until all affected individuals are accounted for.
Meanwhile, the incident comes shortly after a separate explosion at the General Hospital in Bagudo, northern Kebbi State, which caused panic among residents. Police later clarified that the explosion was caused by a fire outbreak that damaged a building in the hospital’s staff quarters, and not a bomb attack.
No casualties were recorded in the hospital incident, and security personnel swiftly secured the area while experts assessed the damage.
