At least 38 people were killed in a gas explosion at a mine pit in central Nigeria’s Plateau state, AFP reported.
The incident took place at the Kampanin Zurak mining site in Plateau state’s Bashar district. Kampanin Zurak is an old mining settlement in the Wase district.
“So far 38 people are confirmed dead and about 27 others have been rushed to hospital," said acting traditional ruler Alhaji Aliyu Adamu Idris told AFP.
He further said that the site of the explosion is operated by Solid Unit Nigeria Limited.
Ibrahim Dattijo Sani, a miner at a nearby pit, said the victims were in the mine where the explosion struck between 7:30 and 8 am.
“We are close to the sites, people were inside the mining pits and suddenly a gas exploded," Sani said. “We tried many efforts for rescue but unfortunately 38 people have died… others have been taken to hospital."
AFP cited a confidential security report citing “carbon monoxide poisoning" as the reason for the death of the miners.
Several similar accidents have killed miners in Nigeria previously.
At least 18 people were killed in Zamfara state in the northwest after a boulder crashed onto an illegal mine during heavy rainfall in September.
Source: World News in news18.com, World Latest News, World News
