The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, has attributed an explosion that occurred at a mining site in Niger to the illegal stockpiling of explosives.

Mr Alake said this in a statement on Monday.

An explosion was reported at a mining site in Sabon Pegi, located in Mashegun LGA of Niger, on Sunday.

Abdullahi Arah, the director-general of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), said three lives had been lost, several others were injured, and more than 40 houses damaged.

Mr Arah said some parked vehicles were also affected.

According to Mr Alake,  preliminary investigations suggest that the explosion was caused by the illegal stockpiling of explosives by a suspect, Yushua Maikampala, a resident of New Bussa.

He said Mr Maikampala was believed to have been involved in purchasing and storing explosives and their accessories in a house in Sabo Pegi, Mashegun LGA.

“According to eyewitnesses, the explosion was triggered by an electrical spark around 7:00 a.m. on Sunday, destroying the building where the explosives were stored and damaging approximately 20 other houses in the vicinity. At least two fatalities have been confirmed,” Mr Alake said.

He directed the dispatch of the Federal Mines Office officials in the state to the blast site for an on-the-spot assessment. 

He directed relevant ministry officials, including the Mines Inspectorate Department, to conduct a forensic analysis of soil samples collected from the blast site to determine the source of the explosives.

He said the analysis would guide the next course of action.

Mr Alake conveyed his condolences to the victims, describing the incident as avoidable.

“Security agencies have been put on the trail of the suspected culprit. He will be apprehended to face justice,” he said.

He said that the federal government was committed to ensuring that mining operators adhered to strict environmental and safety standards to avert a recurrence of the unfortunate incident.

(NAN)