SHANGLA: Relatives of the three mineworkers, who died in a coal mine incident in Hyderabad, placed their bodies on the Bisham-Swat Road here on Friday to protest the alleged negligence of the Sindh government and Pakistan Mines Development Corporation (PMDC), which led to their deaths.

Members of the Shangla coal mine workers rights association also participated in the protest.

Farzand Ali, who is an eyewitness to the incident, said a portion of the mine collapsed, stranding the miners inside. He said the stranded miners kept on asking for oxygen and eviction, but the local administration and the PMDC staff did not respond for hours after the incident, leading to the death of all the three miners inside.

Mr Ali claimed even they were not provided ambulances for taking the bodies to Shangla, forcing them to carry the coffins on the roof of a bus.

Ali Bhash Khan, a miners rights’ activist, said the mineworkers could be retrieved alive if the rescue operation had started on time. He demanded a probe into the incident.

Published in Dawn, August 7th, 2021