A NUMBER of such incidences have occurred earlier also but no concrete measures have yet been adopted to avert them. The cause of this recent incident, in which three labourers lost their lives and one suffered serious injuries, appears to be an overloaded mine cart.

Had there been any instructions or strict supervision this accident at Jabba Tar in Nowshera district, as reported in the press on Oct 19 could have been averted.

There is a dire need for the governments of both Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan to issue directives on safety of miners so that such tragedies can be minimised in future.

The federal and provincial governments should ensure the mine lessees are well aware of safety regulations and well-equipped to handle such disasters in the quickest possible wayr. Also, the mining process must be carried out under the supervision of qualified engineers. Foolproof inspection of mine carts and lifts be carried out before starting mining activities.

Riaz Akbar

Wah Cantt

Published in Dawn, October 21st, 2016