QUETTA: Two workers died after inhaling poisonous gas while working deep inside a coal mine in Duki district of Balochistan on Wednesday.

Levies officials said a group of miners were operating hundreds of feet below the ground when lethal methane gas accumulated in the mine located in the Duki coalfield.

Two of the miners fell unconscious after inhaling the poisonous gas while others succeeded in getting out of the mine.

Soon after receiving information about the incident, other mineworkers rushed to the site and launched a rescue operation. They succeeded in reaching the trapped miners, but found them dead.

“The bodies were shifted to the district hospital where doctors confirmed their death,” the officials said, adding that the bodies were later handed over to their families. They were identified as Abdul Bari and Lali Khan.

Hundreds of miners lose their lives every year due to the presence of methane gas in almost all coalfields in in Balochistan.

Last month, 12 workers were killed and six others injured when a powerful blast took place in a coal mine in the Zardalo area of Harnai district.

Chief Inspector of Mine Balochistan Abdul Ghani Baloch had ordered an inquiry into the incident after sealing the mine. However, no report has so far been released about the findings of the probe committee.

According to the Pakistan Central Mines and Labour Federation president Lala Sultan Achakzai, around 300 mineworkers lose their lives every year, but the authorities concerned reported around 25 per cent of deaths officially.

He said the mine owners and the department concerned failed to ensure proper safety measures in the mines which often caused tragic incidents.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2024