A mining accident has resulted in the deaths of at least 37 people in central Nigeria due to a suspected leak of carbon monoxide gas. The accident happened on Wednesday morning at a mining site in the Kampani community, which is in the Wase local government area of Plateau State.
Reports indicate that the majority of the victims were young men between the ages of 20 and 40. The accident happened just before the sun rose as the night shift was ending, and there was a silent and deadly accumulation of toxic gas in the poorly ventilated tunnels of a lead and zinc mine. By the time the morning shift arrived at 6:30 a.m. to relieve the night staff, dozens of miners had already fallen to the ground due to the inhalation of the colorless and odorless gas.
Aside from the 37 reported deaths, no less than 25 other miners were rescued and immediately brought to nearby hospitals, where they are still in critical condition. Safiyanu Haruna, a miner who was at the site, confirmed that the cause of the deaths was carbon monoxide poisoning, as there was no immediate rescue available for those trapped deep inside.
Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Alake, said that the accident may have happened when local villagers went into a dormant part of the mine to mine minerals, unaware that the tunnel had become a gas chamber. The federal government has ordered an immediate halt to all mining activities in the area to enable a thorough investigation.
This tragic event has brought to light the ever-present risks in Nigeria’s mining industry, which is often plagued by a lack of safety regulation and the proliferation of uncontrolled artisanal mining. Plateau State, long nicknamed “Tin City” for its abundance of mineral resources, has witnessed an increase in such tragedies as people take risks in abandoned or artisanal mines to escape poverty.
As the security forces cordoned off the area, the community came out in mourning. In accordance with Islamic custom, many of the dead were hastily buried in emotional funerals, leaving behind a community to call for better safety regulation and government protection for workers in one of the most dangerous sectors of the country.
