Two young boys have been confirmed dead after they were found in a mining well in Shikpeshe in Obanliku LGA of Cross River State.
The boys reportedly died of suffocation while mining a precious stone called Tourmaline. Some explorers in the area discovered the mineral and asked the boys, five of them, to extract it from the ground. After spending over four months digging the well, two boys were found dead while the other three were seriously injured from the inhalation. The survivors are currently receiving medical treatment at a clinic in Cross River State.
Cross River State Governor Bassey Otu commiserated with the families of the victims and described the occurrence as a huge loss to the community and the state. The Governor assured that a thorough investigation will be carried out to get to the bottom of the incident.