At least 38 lead miners were killed on Wednesday following a gas explosion at a mining site in central Nigeria’s Plateau State, according to local sources.
The blast occurred at the Kampanin Zurak mining site in the Bashar district between 7:30 and 8:00 am (0630–0700 GMT), trapping workers underground. Twenty-seven others were injured and rushed to hospital.
“It is true that so far 38 people are confirmed dead and about 27 others have been rushed to hospital,” said Alhaji Aliyu Adamu Idris, the acting traditional ruler of the area. A miner working at a nearby pit, Ibrahim Dattijo Sani, said workers were underground when the explosion occurred. “People were inside the mining pits, and suddenly a gas explosion occurred,” he told AFP by telephone.
Plateau State, whose capital Jos is historically known as “Tin City”, has long been associated with mining. However, activity in the sector has declined in recent years, with much of the remaining work carried out on a small-scale or informal basis.
Nigeria has recorded similar deadly mining incidents in the past. In September, at least 18 people were killed in north-western Zamfara State after a boulder collapsed onto an illegal mining site during heavy rainfall. Authorities have yet to announce a formal investigation into the latest explosion, as concerns mount over safety standards in the country’s mining sector.