'One big stone hit my broda inside di hole' – Family of victim tok about dia loss for di Sierra Leone mine wey collapse

Di broda of one of di victims wey die inside di mining collapse wey happun for Kumao Town, Nimikoro Chiefdom, Kono District of Sierra Leone say na veri sad incident for dem.

Ibrahim S Kamara wey dey live for Bo say im broda, Ismael Missalie dey wit dem for long bifor e go Kono District, but e come meet im untimely death one year afta.

According to report wey dey go on for social dem, dem say di mining collapse bin trap about 100 Sierra Leonean youths for di area.

Dis mata don cause serious kasala afta di report of di collapse bin happun for Sunday, October 19, 2025. Many pipo say di govment no quick move into action wen di incident happun.

According to Kamara, e lost im 20 years old broda for di mining collapse wen one big stone hit am wen e go dia on Sunday.

E say di deceased bin go Kono district for 2024 wen dia elder broda bin invite am to come work wit am. Dat elder broda bin get im own machine wey e dey take work.

"Na my younger broda, e bin dey live wit us for di past years, e attend primary school. For 2024, im elder broda ask am make e come join am for Kono since e dey work wit di mining company wia e get im own machine."

'My broda go assist im elder broda' bifor e die

Kamara say di mining area wia im broda die na abandoned one but pipo still dey go dia go do illegal work.

E say im broda neva go di abandoned mining place bifor but unfortunately for dat Sunday wey di incident happun, na one pesin come call am.

"According to wetin I get from di broda, dat collapse pit dey abandoned, dat place dey function bifor, so dem dey go dia to do some mining. But my broda neva go dat place bifor, becos di elder broda no fit allow am just go dia."

E say di deceased bin wan make money, na wetin make am follow di pesin wey come call wen im elder broda no dey around.

"On Sunday, wen di elder broda no dey around, one pesin come and take am to go dat place, dem go dia begin dey work, dem get sometin and come back home. My broda decide to go back dia and di pesin wey carry am go bin warn am make e no go.

"Wen e reach dia, e bin dey stand wen di storm happun and one big stone hit am inside di hole."

Kamara describe im late broda a gentle pesin and e dey sad say e lose im life for di incident.

Kamara say di only reason why im broda go dat plae na to 'assist di elder broda wey dey operate one machine for dia.'

E say di authorities no do good sake of say dem claim say di mining area na illegal.

Also, anoda Sierra Leonean, Saidu Bangura tell BBC News Pidgin say e also hear about di allegation say ova 100 pipo bin dey trapped inside di mining site but dem no fit confam di number cannot and authorities dey work to rescue dem.

Kono District, dey known for di diamond deposits, and e get different foreign mining operations wey dey go on for dia.

Di Sierra Leonean Police don dismiss di claim say ova 100 youths dey trapped for di mining area wey collapse for Kono.

Govment say police no find any evidence say pipo dey trapped for di mining area.

Sierra Leone Ministry of Information and Civic Education say di reports say 100 youths bin dey trapped for di mining area no be true.

'Police no find evidence' - Sierra Leone govment tok

According to statement by di ministry, dem say di area wia di collapse happun dey calm and nobody dey trapped according to police visit.

"Di Sierra Leone Police for 21 October, 2025, bin visit di Mine Sites for Kumao Town, Nimikoro Chiefdom, Kono District, afta reports of some 100 youths wey dey trapped for old abandoned mining tunnel."

"Di police investigation find no evidence of anyone wey dey trapped for di abandoned mines."

Di ministry of information for Sierra Leone say dem engage wit di 'Gold Lion Mining Company' and local leaders and dem no get any report of missing pesins.

Dem say di police go keep eye for di site to see if anytin go sup again, and make di mining company get rescue team on standby to handle dat kain problem next time.