No fewer than 30 miners have reportedly died, while 25 others were hospitalised following a suspected carbon monoxide exposure at a mining site in Wase Local Government Area of Plateau State on Wednesday.
Eyewitnesses said the victims, mostly young men between the ages of 20 and 35, suddenly collapsed while carrying out routine underground mining activities at the site.
Some of the injured workers were said to be in critical condition and are currently receiving treatment at a nearby primary healthcare facility.
A local miner, Haruna Safiyanu, attributed the incident to the accumulation of toxic gas inside poorly ventilated tunnels, which he said exposed several workers to dangerous fumes.
He explained that the miners were working underground when many of them began to lose consciousness almost simultaneously, triggering panic among colleagues at the site.
Rescue teams, supported by personnel of the mining company, were said to have swiftly secured the area and evacuated survivors for emergency medical attention.
Authorities have since commenced an investigation to determine the exact cause of the gas build-up, while efforts are ongoing to prevent a recurrence of similar incidents.