Sorange Mines blasts: the need to revamp safety legislation

News of suicide attacks, drone attacks, targeted killings, attacks on schools and shrines flash across the media as breaking news, but the Sorange mines accident was lost somewhere in the cacophony of these no-less-disturbing incidents. The Sorange mines, which are located 16 kilometres east of Quetta and contain 12.95 million tonnes of coal, are where 43 poor miners lost their lives apparently owing to poor ventilation. Last year alone these poor departed souls had mined 60,404 tonnes of coal. They were working 6,000 feet below the surface of the earth when the blast, caused by accumulated methane gas igniting, took place.
According to initial findings, the accumulation of methane inside the mine in such a huge quantity was the major reason for the unsuccessful rescue operations that followed. On the other hand, last year in Chile 33 miners were successfully rescued after being trapped inside a collapsed mine for days, and the incident attracted the attention of international media. Here, however, even the loss of 43 precious lives was apparently not enough for our media to do anything more than superficial reporting. It failed spectacularly to draw the attention of the authorities concerned or mobilise the public opinion in favour of such miners, whose miserable plight continues to go unnoticed.
Watching the scenes of the largest rescue operation ever conducted in mining history, carried out in Chile, I was deeply touched and inspired, but when I compared it to the Quetta episode it multiplied my frustration and dejection.
The Chileans successfully converted a pessimistic scenario into a hopeful one and attracted the attention of the world. It was not only a rescue operation but also a struggle for life and a test of the credibility of the leadership at certain levels.
The presence of 62-year-old Chilean President Sebastian Pinera at the scene of the operation was a rare precedent and a token of respect for the weaker segments of society by any head of state. Here, however, welfare and safety seem to be missing links.
Our style of management is reactive rather than proactive. After one accident or disaster, we are relaxed until the next. Thanks are due, however, to electronic media, which at least keeps us abreast of such happenings, but the media should devote its energies to more interpretative and investigative reporting. In a post-accident scenario, all stakeholders should identify the flaws in safety, welfare and evacuation procedures and suggest amendments in the law and procedures.
Coalmining is regarded as a very hazardous profession, one in which accidents are very frequent. Globally, only one percent of the total workforce is associated with mining, but its share in accidental professional deaths touches 8 percent (approximately 15,000 per year).
In Pakistan about 100 mine workers die every year. Coal provides fuel to industries and is used for power generation, and by sacrificing their lives in the line of duty these poor workers injected their blood in our economy, quite literally.
Now it is society’s turn to give back by taking care of their families. The incident signifies that lack of concern for the safety and welfare of these workers in this part of the world. The question that arises is this: on how many occasions was responsibility determined and the culprits punished? Balochistan has major coal deposits where more than 40,000 miners work in nearly 250 mines without any formal training or safety gear, communication or technical tools. Most mine-owners do nothing to ensure a safe working environment.
According to Pakistan Mines Workers Federation General Secretary Haji Noor Muhammad, the unavailability of gas detective lamps and other safety equipment was one of the main reasons behind the explosions in Sorange. “Detective lamp equipment can smell methane and other poisonous gases inside a coalmine and sends signals to workers not to enter the mine,” said Muhammad. Long working hours, poor health and the burden of debt (accumulated over time in the form of advances on their meagre salaries) seems to be the fate of these workers, and on the other hand stands death with arms wide open. Still, it is not as if no law exists for these workers. The 88-year-old Mines Act of 1923, while in dire need of an update, is a federal legislative frame-work empowering provincial governments to make rules and regulations for their respective provinces for various categories of mines.
It highlights the health and safety issues of workers, powers of the government to appoint courts of inquiry in case of accidents, hours and limitations of employment, hours for those working above ground, hours of work below ground, stipulates one day off a week and forbids employment of women and children for subterranean work. Pakistan has yet to ratify any international conventions that provide guidelines for safe mining. China, the United States and India are the three top coal producers of the world, therefore technological collaboration should be worked out to introduce the best professional practices in Pakistan.
Owing to the sensitivity of the situation, intervention from the government is imperative. Transparent and frequent monitoring and inspection mechanisms are the need of the hour. The government, in collaboration with other stakeholders, should implement higher safety standards, otherwise more accidents are inevitable. In case of death or injury, a comprehensive insurance policy and compensation packages should be worked out with the owners of mines, and the Mines Act of 1923 should be reconciled with ground realities. The writer is member of Police Service of Pakistan