At least 37 miners have died from carbon monoxide poisoning at a mining site in Plateau State, central Nigeria. The incident occurred Wednesday morning in Kampani community, Wase area, according to Reuters citing police and security reports. Another 25 miners were hospitalized. The mine is an old lead mine where dangerous fumes built up. Local villagers entered the tunnel to extract minerals without knowing the gases were deadly. Plateau State government fears more deaths but gave no exact count. Security forces have blocked access to the site. Nigeria's Minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Alake, said the miners were unaware of the toxic emissions. Illegal mining is common in Nigeria and often lacks government control or safety rules. The federal government has ordered all mining near the site to stop immediately for investigation. Plateau State has a mining history but activities have slowed. Similar accidents have happened before, like one in Zamfara State last year that killed 18 miners when a boulder fell during heavy rains. Tragic mining accidents are common across Africa, underlining dangers in both legal and illegal operations. Last month, over 200 people died in a mine collapse in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, showing the ongoing risks in mining regions.