Labourer dies in blast at private factory

HARIPUR:

A worker was killed in an explosion at an iron smelting furnace in a private factory located in Hattar Industrial Estate.

According to sources, an Afghan migrant labourer, Wakil Khan, died on Sunday due to an explosion in the iron smelting furnace of Nomi Steel Industry, a private factory located in Hattar Industrial Estate, within the limits of Hattar Police Station in Haripur.

Sources said the factory owners tried their best to cover up the incident.

It should be noted that several accidents have taken place in various factories of Hattar Industrial Estate in the past due to a lack of safety measures, in which many workers have lost their lives.

Local labourers Zia Khan, Ashraf Baba and Arshad Raza Khan said that they have been working in local factories for 10 years.

“No security arrangements are made here and accidents happen every other day,” they said and lamented that the workers were losing their lives due to mishaps.

“The families of the workers, who have died due to accidents at the workplace, have not been compensated yet,” they added.

The labourers said the factory owners pay only one month’s salary to the aggrieved families.

“There are no security arrangements in the factories,” they claimed.