Deadly mine accident claims six lives

Poisonous gas fills pit in Harnai; five other colliers fall unconscious

QUETTA:

In yet another tragic mining accident, six miners have lost their lives and five others have been injured due to poisonous gases inside a coal mine in the Shahrag area of Harnai district, Balochistan.

The mine lacked proper ventilation, causing 11 miners to fall unconscious and become trapped, an official told The Express Tribune.

Despite the efforts of rescue workers and fellow coal miners, who lacked proper equipment and machinery, five miners died before being reached by rescue teams after hours of strenuous efforts.

The dead bodies were transported to the Basic Health Unit Shahrag along with the injured miners.

Dr Muhammad Akbar, in charge of the health unit, confirmed the deaths and injuries. “We received a total of six dead bodies and five injured,” he said.

The coal miners were working thousands of feet underground when the mine was suddenly filled with poisonous gases.

The hospital administration handed over the dead bodies to heirs after autopsy and completion of necessary official procedures.

This tragedy highlights the hazardous working conditions faced by miners, the lack of proper protective gear, and inadequate safety measures on the part of mine owners.

Such incidents have claimed thousands of lives in recent years, with little action taken by those responsible.

Labour unions have criticized the government and the mines and mineral department of Balochistan for failing to improve working conditions inside mines to prevent loss of life. “These are death holes rather than mines,” said Peer Muhammad Kakar, the central leader of the Pakistan Mines Association, adding that mine owners and contractors are influential people with good government contacts, leading to authorities turning a blind eye to such incidents.

Kakar demanded proper investigations into such incidents to hold those responsible accountable for their negligence.

He also called for proper compensation for the families of those who lost their lives, along with free education for their children.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan Balochistan chapter has also expressed serious concern over the increasing deaths of miners across Balochistan. The HRCP has called on the government to take practical steps to improve safety procedures and prevent such incidents in the future.

It is worth noting that mining in Pakistan is conducted using traditional methods without the supervision of experts, resulting in the loss of many lives.

Local residents said that it was not the first incident in Harnai district as in December last year six ill-fated colliers were killed in a coalmine blast in the Harnai.

Local residents told The Express Tribune that all the six unfortunate miners hailed from different parts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and were working inside the mine when the explosion occurred in Shah Tarakh Tangi tehsil of Harnai district.

“All of them died after being trapped inside the mine for seven hours as the rescue operation started very late and the miners were without protective gear, so the chances of their survival were quite slim,” they said.

The miners have been identified as Sarfaraz, resident of Shangla; Ghaniur Rehman, resident of Dir; Bacha Khalid, resident of Swat; Rehmanullah, resident of Dir; Najeebullah, resident of Dir and Naseeb Gul, resident of Swat.

As soon as the blast was reported, the Balochistan government directed the departments concerned to take strict measures for the rescue of the miners and the rescuers finally reached them after seven hours of hectic efforts but all of them were long dead.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 4^th, 2023.