At least 37 people have died following a suspected toxic gas explosion at a mining site in Company Zurak, Wase Local Government Area of Plateau State in north-central Nigeria, local sources said.
Eyewitnesses reported that several miners were rescued alive and taken to nearby hospitals for urgent medical treatment.
Shafi Sambo, Wase Youth Leader, said he was informed of the incident due to his community position.
“We got information that the miners dug deep into the ground and were exposed to a gas that killed 37 of them instantly,” Sambo said.
He added that the victims were mining zinc on behalf of a company believed to be Chinese-owned, although the ownership structure could not be independently verified at the time of reporting.
Security forces have taken control of the area. “The army has since gone there and cordoned off the place to stop people from accessing it and to prevent the spread,” Sambo said.
Local sources who visited the scene described the blast as sudden.
“It was sudden. One moment they were working, the next we heard cries and saw people falling. It was terrible,” Joseph Ogah, a resident of the community, said. “Some people are still unaccounted for.”
The incident has renewed concerns over safety standards, environmental compliance, and regulatory oversight in Nigeria’s mining sector, especially in rural areas where informal and semi-formal mining is common.
