The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, has ordered the closure of areas covered by Mining Licence 11810 operated by Solid Unit Nigeria Limited, owned by Abdullahi Dan-China in Zuraq, Wase Local Government of Plateau State, following the death of villagers allegedly mining in pit containing gaseous emissions.
In a condolence call to Governor Caleb Mutfwang, Alake sympathised with him over the loss of the innocent citizens who died while trying to earn a living.
Alake urged the governor to convey his deep sorrow and solidarity with the people of Wase over the irreparable loss, a statement by the Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Segun Tomori, stated.
The minister said he has dispatched a team of officials and investigators led by Permanent Secretary, Yusuf Yabo, to probe the remote and immediate causes of the incident and recommend sanctions.
The team also includes experts in mining, environmental compliance and artisanal cooperatives. The minister is co-ordinating the team and the support services to ensure effective management of the situation.
The actions, according to the statement, were taken as preliminary reports indicated that the company ceded the pit where the incident took place to the community to mine following agitations by villagers for empowerment.
It was gathered that the area was an abandoned Lead site with the stored mineral prone to emissions of sulphuric oxide. Unaware of the poisonous nature of the emissions, the villagers reportedly engaged in extraction while inhaling the gaseous substance.
ML 11810 lies between longitudes 10.34.45, and 10.35.50 and latitudes 9.13.45, 9.14.40. The minister promised to make further disclosures as investigations continue.
Earlier, a major mining disaster was reported to have struck Zurak, where at least 37 miners were feared dead and about 25 others hospitalised following a suspected toxic gas exposure inside an underground tunnel.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, prompting widespread alarm and renewed scrutiny of unsafe mining practices in the region. Confirming the tragedy, the Wase Youth Leader, Shafi Sambo, said he was alerted at dawn after miners raised distress calls from the site.
“It happened at a mining site in Company Zurak, Wase Local Government. 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 several survivors were rescued and rushed to nearby hospitals for urgent treatment, though the exact number of those affected remains uncertain. Sambo explained the miners were extracting zinc on behalf of a company locally known as Dan China, believed to be a Chinese owned mining firm operating in the area.
The specific mineral being mined at the time of the incident has not been officially confirmed.
The Media Information Officer of Operation Enduring Peace, Captain Chinonso Polycarp Oteh, confirmed that troops responded swiftly after receiving a distress call.
According to the officer, troops “quickly mobilised to the scene to assist other sister security agencies in cordoning off the general area and evacuating the victims to a nearby health facility.”
The military presence has since helped secure the site, preventing further access and reducing the risk of additional exposure to the suspected toxic fumes, he said.
The tragedy has intensified public concern over the safety of artisanal and company backed mining operations in Plateau State, particularly in rural communities where ventilation, emergency preparedness, and regulatory oversight are often inadequate.
Community members and local leaders are calling for a thorough investigation into the incident, accountability for any negligence, and stricter enforcement of safety standards to prevent future loss of lives.
Emmanuel Addeh and Yemi Kosoko
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