Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Saturday announced that 10 residents of his province were among the 12 miners who lost their lives in a coal mine collapse in Balochistan’s Sanjidi region.
The incident occurred on Thursday following a methane gas explosion, which caused the mine to collapse and trapped 12 miners inside.
Rescue teams of Balochistan Minerals Department and Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) recovered the bodies of four miners on Friday after hours of effort.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Chief Minister Gandapur expressed his condolences, saying 10 of the deceased miners were from Shangla district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “We share the grief of the bereaved families,” he added.
Balochistan Chief Inspector of Mines Abdul Ghani on Friday informed that the workers were mining coal at a depth of 4,000 feet when the explosion occurred. The explosion caused the entire mine to collapse.
He further mentioned that the Ministry of Mines would conduct a thorough investigation to determine the safety measures taken by the mine owners.
Balochistan’s mines, which are controlled by private companies under lease agreements with the government, are known for unsafe working conditions and poor safety standards, making fatal accidents all too common.
According to the Balochistan Minerals Department, 46 mining accidents occurred last year, claiming the lives of 82 miners.
Balochistan is rich in coal reserves, with large deposits in areas like Mach, Hernai and Chamalang. However, the use of outdated mining methods has contributed to frequent accidents in the region.
Last March, a gas explosion at a coal mine in the Khost area of Hernai killed 12 workers.
In 2021, three major accidents in Marwar, Hernai and other parts of Balochistan resulted in the death of 22 workers.
Similarly, in 2020, more than 100 miners lost their lives in such accidents, including 52 in Duki district.
