12 bodies pulled out from collapsed coalmine in Sanjadi

QUETTA: Rescue workers pulled out bodies of twelve miners from a collapsed coal mine in Quetta’s Sanjadi area on Monday.

Earlier in the day, Balochistan Chief Inspector of Mines Iftikhar Ahmed confirmed that seven dead bodies were recovered, while rescue work was underway to recover the remaining miners who were feared to be dead.

Moreover, Balochistan Caretaker Chief Minister Alauddin Marri has expressed his grief over the loss of precious lives in the incident. He has also asked the authorities concerned to expedite rescue operation.

On Sunday, at least 13 miners were trapped when a gas explosion caused the mine to cave in.

Rescue teams, FC Balochistan and Levies personnel reached the spot and launched the rescue operation. Deputy Commissioner Captain (r) Tahir Zafar Abbasi said that the workers were in a tunnel at a depth of 4,000 feet.

Coal Miners Association official Bakht Nawab had said that the “chances of their survival were bleak”.

The trapped miners belong to Shangla, Swat and Dir areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

According to the Pakistan Central Mines Labour Federation (PCMLF), between 100 and 200 labourers die on average in coal mine accidents every year.

On June 3, four labourers died after getting trapped under the debris following a gas explosion in a mine in the same area.

On May 5, 17 labourers died and 6 others injured when a coal mine collapsed in Quetta.

According to officials, coal mine incident occurred in Margut area of provincial capital, FC, PDMA and Edhi volunteers immediately rushed to the scene for a rescue operation.

There were 23 labourers working at the time of the coal mine incident, rescue workers shifted 17 dead bodies to the hospital along with the six injured who were admitted for treatment.