At least 37 miners were reported dead and about 25 others hospitalised after inhaling a toxic gas, including carbon monoxide, inside an underground mining pit in Kampani Zurak community in Wase Local Government Area, according to police and state reports on Wednesday, February 18, 2026.
The incident highlights serious safety concerns in informal mining operations across the region. The miners, mostly young men aged between 20 and 35, were engaged in routine extraction activities when toxic gases, believed to have built up underground in poorly ventilated tunnels, swept through the shafts, causing victims to collapse.
Eyewitnesses said miners fell unconscious shortly after exposure, and survivors were rushed to nearby health facilities for urgent care. State authorities have sealed off the mining site to prevent further exposure and allow investigators to determine the exact cause of the leak, while federal regulators have ordered the shutdown of mining activities in the affected area pending further inquiry.
Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development Dele Alake said the site was previously a lead mine and that residual mineral deposits likely released toxic emissions that miners were unaware of before entering the tunnels.
The tragedy underscores longstanding safety gaps in Nigeria’s mining sector, particularly at abandoned or informal sites where protective measures are minimal and workers often lack training or equipment. Authorities are urging caution and enforcement of stricter safety protocols to prevent similar future disasters.