37 Miners Die in Nigeria Mine Gas Poisoning

At least 37 miners died from carbon monoxide poisoning early Wednesday in a mining pit in Kampani Zurak, a community in Nigeria's Plateau State, with around 25 others hospitalized after inhaling toxic gases underground.

The incident occurred around 5:45 a.m. in the Wase local government area, where villagers had entered an abandoned lead mining site to extract minerals, according to a security report and police sources. Preliminary investigations indicate the victims, mostly men aged 20 to 35, succumbed to the gas while working in the tunnel. The site, covered under mining license 11810 and operated by Solid Unit Nigeria Limited, had stored minerals that released dangerous emissions, officials said.

Nigeria's Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, described the area as prone to such hazards. "Villagers, unaware of the toxic nature of the emissions, reportedly entered the tunnel to extract minerals and inhaled the gas," Alake stated. He ordered the immediate closure of all mining activities in the affected zone pending a full investigation. Security forces quickly cordoned off the site to prevent further access, and the Plateau State government confirmed multiple...