The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, has ordered the immediate sealing of a mining site in Zuraq, Wase Local Government Area of Plateau State, following the death of 37 miners.
The directive was announced in a statement issued on
Wednesday in Abuja by his Special Assistant on Media, Segun Tomori.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the Chairman
of Wase LGA, Hamisu Anani, confirmed that at least 37 miners died while 25
others were hospitalised in the early hours of Tuesday.
The victims were reportedly exposed to toxic gaseous
emissions while mining at an underground site in Zurak.
Alake said the affected area falls under Mining Licence
11810, operated by Solid Unit Nigeria Limited and owned by Abdullahi Dan-China.
He explained that the closure was necessary to contain the
situation and allow for a full investigation.
He said he had dispatched a team of officials and
investigators led by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Yusuf Yabo, to
determine both the remote and immediate causes of the incident and to recommend
appropriate sanctions.
According to the minister, the team includes experts in
mining, environmental compliance and artisanal cooperatives. He added that he
is personally coordinating efforts to ensure effective management of the
situation.
“The actions 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,” Alake said.
“It was gathered that the area was an abandoned lead site
with stored minerals 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.”
The minister also provided the coordinates of the affected
Mining Licence 11810 area, saying it lies between longitudes 10.34.45 and
10.35.50 and latitudes 9.13.45 and 9.14.40.
Alake assured that further updates would be made available
as investigations continue.
He condoled with Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang,
describing the tragedy as “an unfortunate incident of death of innocent
citizens trying to earn a living.”
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