37 miners dead, 25 hospitalised after suspected gas leakage in Plateau

At least 37 miners have reportedly lost their lives after allegedly inhaling carbon monoxide while working at an underground mining site in Zurak, Wase Local Government Area of Plateau State.

The incident, which took place in the early hours of Tuesday, was reported by Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency news outlet.

Sources said the miners, mostly young men between the ages of 20 and 35, were carrying out routine mining activities when the poisonous gas escaped from the tunnels.

Eyewitnesses described a terrifying scene, noting that the miners collapsed inside the mine shortly after being exposed.

Meanwhile, 25 other miners have been rushed to a nearby health facility for urgent medical attention.

Police have reportedly secured the mining site to prevent further exposure and to allow investigators to establish how the gas leak occurred.

Images sighted by IDOMA VOICE showed miners covered in a white, powdery substance, suggesting attempts at decontamination.

Experts warn that underground miners are at risk of inhaling toxic gases like carbon monoxide, which can be produced by mine fires or explosions, according to research by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Medical authorities, including the Mayo Clinic, note that carbon monoxide can displace oxygen in red blood cells, leading to tissue damage and, in severe cases, death.