Four Miners Die in Separate Coal Mine Gas Incidents

News Desk

Quetta: At least four miners lost their lives after toxic gas accumulated in two separate coal mines in Balochistan’s Harnai and Dukki districts, while rescue teams continued efforts to recover another miner trapped underground.

According to Harnai Mine Inspector Abdul Rasheed Abru, two miners, identified as Abdul Bari and Lali, both residents of Pishin, died after entering a coal mine in Shahragh Tehsil to inspect its condition.

The victims’ bodies were recovered and shifted to the Rural Health Hospital, where medicolegal formalities were completed before they were handed over to their families.

Abru said the mine’s lease had been approved by a high-level PMDC inspection team on November 13, 2023. However, subsequent inspections found the mine was operating without proper authorization and lacked mandatory mining facilities. Authorities ordered its closure under the Mining Act, 1926.

He added that the mine had remained inactive for the past six months. The fatal incident occurred when workers were sent by the contractor or mine owner to assess the site before resuming operations.

In a separate incident in Dukki district, toxic gas trapped three miners inside another coal mine. Rescue teams recovered the bodies of two miners, while operations continued to reach the third worker.

Inspector Abdul Rasheed Abru said the likelihood of the trapped miner surviving was extremely low due to prolonged exposure to poisonous gas, although officials would confirm the death only after the body is recovered.

The bodies of the two miners recovered in Dukki were shifted to a nearby hospital, while rescue teams remained engaged in efforts to retrieve the remaining miner.