KOHAT, April 10: Ten mine workers were killed and several others injured when a gypsum mine caved in in Shindand Jabbar, a remote area 18km from here, on Tuesday evening. The incident occurred when miners were busy collecting gypsum after blasting.

Two schoolchildren, who worked as part-timers in the mine and sold small pieces of gypsum to truck owners, were also killed in the incident.

Witnesses, mostly truckers, said they were waiting outside the mine to transport gypsum to the Kohat Cement Company when they heard a thunderous sound and saw dust emitting from the mine minutes after the blasting of the mountain. They said roof of the mine collapsed as a result of heavy blasting.

It took several hours to reach the spot in the absence of proper machinery to remove the giant stones which had blocked the main entrance. People from the nearby villages were called in through announcements from loud-speakers, who after hectic efforts were able to remove eight dead bodies which were beyond recognition.

Later, people hired a tractor to remove a big stone under which two labourers had been crushed to death.

The local administration supervised the operation which continued till late hours of Tuesday.

A team of doctors and paramedics also reached the spot and provided first-aid to the injured people. Two injured people were immediately shifted to the KDA Hospital.

After inspecting the mine, the authorities concerned declared it unsafe and ordered the contractor to stop work unless engineers gave an all-clear signal and proper arrangements had been made for the security of miners.

All the victims were buried in their native villages on Wednesday afternoon. A large number of people attended the burial.

Some of the victims were identified as Gul Mast, Ayaz, his son and two unidentified children.

Sources said the incident could have been avoided had there been some experts on the site who could inform the labourers about the risks involved in the mining process after blasting. Lack of necessary equipment to cope with the situation also resulted in this many deaths.