Overview
- The early-morning discharge in Kampani Zurak, Wase LGA, left 25–27 others hospitalized after workers collapsed underground around 5:45 a.m.
- Security forces cordoned off the mine while Minister of Solid Minerals Dele Alake ordered a shutdown of areas covered by ML 11810 and sent a team led by Permanent Secretary Yusuf Yabo to probe the causes.
- A police source and a security report cited carbon monoxide poisoning, though Plateau officials initially described an explosion and no definitive forensic finding has been released.
- The pit falls within a licence operated by Solid Unit (Solid Unity) Nigeria Limited, linked to owner Abdullahi Dan‑China, and officials said the dormant lead site can emit toxic gases.
- Survivors and families described sudden breathlessness and loss of consciousness consistent with CO exposure and appealed for support as activists pressed for stronger safety enforcement across artisanal mines.