At least 37 miners died of carbon monoxide poisoning at a mining site in Nigeria’s Plateau state, a police source and a security report seen by Reuters said yesterday.
The incident occurred in a mining pit in Kampani, a community in the Wase area, according to the report.
Another 25 miners were taken to hospital.
Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, said the area was an abandoned lead site with stored minerals prone to releasing toxic gases.
Villagers, unaware of the toxic nature of the emissions, reportedly entered the tunnel to extract minerals and inhaled the gas, he said.
Alake ordered the closure of mining areas in Zuraq following the deaths of villagers allegedly mining in a pit containing dangerous gas emissions.
Preliminary findings showed the victims, aged 20 to 35, died after inhaling the gas while working underground, the security report said.
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