Suspected Toxic Gas Kills Dozens at Plateau Mining Site

Tragedy struck a mining community in Company Zurak, Wase LGA, after a suspected toxic gas leak reportedly claimed the lives of dozens of miners, raising fresh alarm over safety conditions in Nigeria’s extractive sector.

Local youth leader Shafi Sambo said he was alerted early Wednesday about the incident. According to him, miners had excavated deep underground when they were suddenly exposed to a dangerous gas, leading to multiple deaths at the scene.

Sambo estimated that about 37 miners died instantly, though authorities have not officially confirmed the figure. Several others were said to have been rescued alive and taken to nearby hospitals for treatment, but the number of survivors remains uncertain.

The miners were reportedly working on a zinc site linked to a Chinese-owned company operating in the area, although the specific mineral involved has not yet been independently verified.

Personnel of the Nigerian Army have since been deployed to secure the site and restrict access, a move aimed at preventing further exposure and maintaining order.

Attempts to obtain official comment from the Plateau State government were unsuccessful, as calls to the Commissioner for Environment, Peter Gwom, and the local council chairman, Hamisu Anani, went unanswered.

The incident has reignited concerns about mining safety in rural communities of Plateau State, where residents and civil society groups say weak regulation, limited monitoring, and poor emergency preparedness continue to endanger workers. Calls are mounting for a full investigation and stricter enforcement of mining safety standards to avert future disasters.