SHANGLA: Residents of Kuz Kana area of Shangla demonstrated here the other day against death of three mineworkers due to alleged negligence of the staff and a lack of safety measures at an Orakzai mine.

The people blocked the Shahpur road for some time.

Sohrab Khan, a local, claimed that no administration official arrived at the site of the accident and the co-workers pulled out the bodies and the injured from inside the mine and shifted them to hospital.

Sohrab alleged that the incident occurred due to negligence of mine’s manager and contractor as they forced the labourers to work despite the fact that water was leaking into it from an already used mine.

Abid Yar, an activist for mineworkers’ rights, said the deceased were new to mining, and they failed to rush out when water started accumulating inside the mine. He said the miners on the surface made efforts to retrieve the trapped colleagues and save their lives, but they were unsuccessful due to non-availability of a water pump and other essential tools at the site.

Mr Yar blasted the Peshawar administration officials for returning the bodies back to Orakzai for fulfilling medico-legal process.

Rozi Badshah, another local, claimed that officials at the mines inspectorate did not visit the site. He said no legal action was ever taken against the mines’ contractors and managers over their negligence in the deadly incidents.

He demanded registration of FIR against the contractor, manager and inspectorate of mines for allowing dangerous mines to operate.

The deceased miners – Shamshad, Bakht Munir and Shoaib – were laid to rest after funeral prayers at a graveyard in Kuz Kana area of Alpuri tehsil.

Their families said the deceased aged between 16 and 20 years.

When contacted, chief inspector mines told Dawn that he had asked for a report of the incident, and that legal action would be taken against anyone, who was found guilty of any negligence.

Published in Dawn, April 22nd, 2022