Five people have been trapped since Tuesday evening after a section of a private rice mill collapsed in Birnin Kebbi, the Kebbi State capital while one person was confirmed dead.

The Kebbi State Deputy Governor, Senator Umar Abubakar Tafida who led a government delegation to the scene for an on-the-spot assessment, assured that all efforts were underway to rescue those who were still trapped.

“We are here to first assess the situation and, more importantly, to ensure that every possible effort is made to rescue those still trapped.

“The safety of workers is paramount, and the government will remain fully engaged until this operation is concluded,” the governor said.

He sympathized with the management and staff of NIA-AGRI, owners of the facility.

While rescue operations were still ongoing at the time of filing this report, a project engineer at the site told the delegation that one staff member died instantly, while five others were believed to be trapped under the collapsed structure as of Tuesday night.

A joint rescue team of the Kebbi State Fire Service and other emergency responders has been deployed, using heavy-duty equipment to cut through the rubble to search for survivors who are believed to be trapped under.

According to a senior emergency official;

“The rescue operation is delicate, but our teams are doing everything possible to reach those trapped without causing further harm.”

While the cause of the collapse remains unknown, the state governor has assured that his government would thoroughly investigate the incident.