QUETTA: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has expressed concern over unsafe coal mining practices in Balochistan and the plight of coal miners working without safety precautions while digging as deep as 1,000 kilometres in coal mines.

NHRC member Fazila Alyani during her visit to Quetta met leaders of coal mine labour unions and officials of mines and mineral department to get information about two coal mine accidents which left 23 coal miners dead in Marwar and Sur-range areas of Quetta district.

She expressed sorrow over the loss of lives in Marwar and Sur-range coal mines fields and prayed for the recovery of the injured.

According to mine organisations, owners and local contractors deliberately endanger lives of coal miners as they do not take safety measure in private coal mine fields.

Balochistan is notorious for coal mine accidents and hundreds of coal miners have been killed due to mine explosion in various coal mine fields.

Published in Dawn, May 25th, 2018