No fewer than 37 miners were killed in Kampani Zurak community of Wase local government area of Plateau state following a carbon monoxide leak in the early hours of Wednesday.
Safiyanu Haruna, a miner in the community who confirmed the incident, said that over 20 victims who sustained injuries in the incident had been rushed to a hospital in Wase town for treatment.
According to Haruna, the incident occurred around 6:30am when the victims, who had performed their morning prayers, returned to the mining site and suddenly fell victims to the gas leak.
“It was carbon monoxide gas that leaked and killed them. Waking up to the sad story of losing 37 miners who had been struggling to make ends meet. We’re disturbed by the incident. Around 5:30 am, they were all alive because they had left the site for morning prayer, and it was when they returned to the site that they were found in this condition.
”There was no rescue at the time of the incident because those who were supposed to come in the morning were yet to arrive at the scene. 37 persons were confirmed killed while over 20 were injured and are receiving treatment in the hospital,” the miner said.
Haruna further said the funeral prayer of the deceased is ongoing in the community.
Authorities are yet to comment on the incident but residents of the community told our correspondent that the chairman of the LGA was at the funeral prayer of the deceased.
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