Two colliers die after mine collapses in Quetta

Two labourers were found dead after being trapped under debris following a gas explosion in a mine in Quetta Sunday morning.

Chief Inspector of Mines Iftikhar Ahmed shared that six colliers were working in the mine, adding that bodies of two labourers have been taked out.

Rescue teams are presently conducting operations to rescue the remaining four miners.

According to Ahmed, the incident occurred in Sanjadi area of the province, which is 70 kilometres away from Quetta.

“The labourers will be rescued in an hour or two,” Ahmed remarked.

Fatalities in the coal-mining sector in the country are becoming commonplace highlighting the need for better labour protections. Many miners have lost their lives or suffered a physical disability in frequent accidents in the mines.

On May 6, at least 23 miners were killed when two coal mines collapsed near Quetta.

The first accident occurred in Marwaarh, 45 kilometres east of Quetta, which is the capital of oil and gas-rich Balochistan province, due to a gas explosion.

"The roof caved in following an explosion triggered by the accumulation of methane gas, killing 16 miners and wounding nine others, two of them seriously", Jawaid Shahwani, commissioner of Quetta Division said.

There were 30 labourers inside the mine when the explosion occurred. All the injured miners were rescued and taken to the hospital.

Later in the day, another coal mine collapsed in Sooranj area, in which seven miners were killed. Two workers were rescued in an unconscious state, while bodies of two miners were recovered Saturday night.