Pit Collapse While Digging for Sand in Nigeria Kills 11 Children

Local Authorities Investigating Whether Children Were Mobilized for Labor

Eleven children died when a pit collapsed while they were digging for sand in Nigeria.

Kaduna, Nigeria. Google Maps capture.

According to AFP on June 4 (local time), an accident occurred the previous day on the outskirts of Yardoka village in northern Kaduna State, where children aged 4 to 9 were buried in a collapsed pit while digging for sand to make bricks.

Mansir Hassan, spokesperson for the Kaduna State Police in Nigeria, said, "Police and local residents rescued the victims from the collapsed pit," adding, "Eleven children died, and seven injured children are receiving treatment at the hospital."

Spokesperson Hassan also stated that authorities are investigating whether the children were mobilized for labor.

The children were mostly from informal Islamic schools (madrasa), which are common in northern Nigeria, where most residents are Muslim. AFP reported, "Children from poor families are sent to these schools to learn the Quran, but they often have to beg on the streets or do menial labor to pay for their education."

Meanwhile, in February, a fire broke out at a madrasa dormitory in Zamfara State in the northwest, resulting in the deaths of 17 students and injuries to 17 others.