At least 37 people have died and 25 others are receiving treatment in hospital after inhaling toxic fumes at an abandoned mining site in Plateau State.
The incident occurred on Wednesday morning in the Kampani community of Wase Local Government Area.
Local security and police sources told Reuters that the victims were exposed to carbon monoxide inside a dormant lead mine, where accumulated minerals reportedly released lethal gas.
Officials of the Plateau State Government confirmed that many people were feared dead, although they did not immediately provide an exact figure.
Meanwhile, Wase Youth Leader, Shafi Sambo, confirmed that 37 lives were lost.
“It happened at a mining site in Company Zurak, Wase Local Government. We got information that the miners dug deep into the ground and were exposed to a gas that killed 37 of them instantly,” he said in a phone interview with Channels Television.
Survivors were rushed to nearby health facilities, while security personnel quickly sealed off the area to prevent further casualties.
Sambo disclosed that the youths were mining zinc on behalf of a company said to be a Chinese-owned mining firm operating in the area. The nature of the mineral being mined was not immediately confirmed.
Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, said preliminary findings suggest that villagers entered the abandoned tunnel in search of mineral deposits without realising the danger posed by the toxic fumes.
He noted that carbon monoxide can build up in poorly ventilated underground spaces and become fatal within minutes when inhaled in high concentrations.
“Local residents reportedly entered the mine to extract minerals and were overcome by gas emissions,” the Minister said, adding that the Federal Government has ordered an immediate suspension of mining activities around the affected area to enable a full investigation and safety audit.
The Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development has pledged to work with the Plateau State Government, security agencies, and mining regulators to determine the cause of the latest disaster and enforce stricter safety measures.
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