The federal government has sealed a mining site in Zurak, Wase LGA of Plateau after a tragic gas poisoning incident that claimed at least 37 lives and hospitalised 26 on Wednesday.
Dele Alake, minister of solid minerals development, ordered the immediate closure of areas under Mining Licence 11810, operated by Solid Unit Nigeria Limited and owned by Abdullahi Dan-China.
The directive comes amid confirmation that the victims, mostly young artisanal miners aged 20-35, inhaled lethal toxic gases, including carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, and lead oxide, in a poorly ventilated underground pit at the abandoned lead site.
In a statement, Segun Tomori, Alake’s spokesperson, said preliminary reports indicate that the company had ceded the pit to the locals for extraction following community demands for empowerment.
He said unaware of the residual minerals’ propensity to emit poisonous gases, the miners entered the confined space, leading to rapid suffocation.
The Plateau police command, which first responded to the early-morning incident around 6am, had cordoned off the area, deployed tactical teams, including Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) experts, while collecting samples of rock, soil, and minerals for forensic analysis.
The police said no evidence of an explosion or explosive devices were found, and attributed the deaths solely to sudden toxic gas discharge.
Alake paid a condolence visit to Caleb Mutfwang, governor of Plateau, over the incident, conveying deep sorrow and solidarity with the people of Wase over the “irreparable loss” of citizens seeking livelihoods.
