By Abiola Olawale
A cloud of grief and panic has descended upon Plateau State following a catastrophic gas leak that has claimed dozens of lives and left many more fighting for breath in local hospitals.
The exposure reportedly originated from a mining site in Company Zurak, Wase Local Government Area of Plateau State.
While official figures are still being tallied, eyewitnesses and first responders suggest the death toll has already climbed into the “scores,” with many victims discovered in their homes or along the streets near the leak site.
The Wase Youth Leader, Shafi Sambo, said he received an early-morning call alerting him to the tragedy because of his position as the youth leader of the area.
“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 in a phone interview.
He stated that several other miners were rescued alive and rushed to nearby hospitals for urgent medical attention, though the exact number of survivors remains unclear as of press time.
Sambo disclosed that the youths were mining zinc on behalf of a company said to be a Chinese-owned mining firm operating in the area. The nature of the mineral being mined was not immediately confirmed.
