Rescuers stated on Wednesday that two bodies were retrieved from a mine that caved in located in southern Pakistan. They also fear that eight more individuals may have perished.
In the mining area of Khost, which is 80 kilometers (50 miles) east of Quetta, a gas explosion occurred in a private coal mine on Tuesday evening. This incident trapped 10 people about 800 feet (244 meters) underground.
Ghani Baloch, the chief inspector of mines for Balochistan province, informed AFP that the rescue teams found two deceased individuals overnight.
Ghani Baloch mentioned to AFP, "We are concerned that the remaining workers may not have survived. However, our rescue team members are doing their utmost to recover them."
A group of eight people who tried to save their colleagues also became trapped for several hours. Subsequently, a government rescue team brought them to safety, with some of them unconscious.
The government's mining department and the disaster management agency have both dispatched rescue teams to the location.
Baloch informed AFP, "The cause of the incident was an accumulation of carbon monoxide gas, which was followed by an explosion. As a result, the mine collapsed."
Tragic events are frequent in Pakistani mines, known for their perilous working conditions and inadequate safety standards.
In April 2022, a gas explosion at a coal mine in southern Poland resulted in the deaths of four individuals, with seven others missing. https://punchng.com/four-dead-in-polish-coal-mine-explosion/
Additionally, in 2020, eighteen miners were confirmed dead after a carbon monoxide leak at a coal mine in southwestern China. State media reported that rescue operations were in progress to reach the five individuals still trapped underground. https://punchng.com/18-chinese-miners-killed-in-underground-gas-leak/
AFP
