The Digest:
The Federal Government has ordered the immediate closure of a mining site in Zurak, Wase Local Government Area, Plateau State, where 37 artisanal miners died after inhaling suspected toxic gases. Twenty-five others were hospitalised. The victims, mostly young men aged 20-35, were conducting routine underground operations when they inhaled gases believed to have accumulated in poorly ventilated tunnels at Mining Licence 11810, operated by Solid Unit Nigeria Limited. Minister of Solid Minerals Development Dele Alake dispatched a high-level investigative team led by Permanent Secretary Yusuf Yabo to determine the causes and recommend sanctions. Preliminary findings suggest the company had ceded the abandoned pit to the host community following agitation for economic opportunities. The site, an abandoned lead mine, contained mineral deposits prone to sulphuric oxide gas emissions. Alake expressed deep sorrow, describing victims as "innocent citizens trying to earn a living."
Key Points:
- The tragedy exposes the deadly risks of abandoned mining pits exploited by unaware communities.
- It highlights regulatory failures in mine rehabilitation and community safety.
- Families of victims face irreparable loss, while the government promises accountability.
- This signals an urgent need for formalising artisanal mining and enforcing safety standards.
- The timing, with the investigation launched, may accelerate mining sector reforms.
Sources: The Punch, Ministry of Solid Minerals Development
TAGS
Plateau, Mining Disaster, Gas Leak, 37 Dead, Dele Alake
