THATTA: At least four labourers were killed and five others seriously injured on Thursday when a wall collapsed inside a coal mine near Meting railway station.

The tragedy occurred at the Ibrahim Coal Mines, situated within the Kohistani belt of Thatta district. Workers were reportedly carrying out their duties in the mine when a sudden cave-in trapped several people under the debris.

The dead were identified as 40-year-old Ziaullah, son of Abdul Rehman Pathan; 51-year-old Noor Mohammad, son of Bahawal Khan Pathan; 20-year-old Irfanullah, son of Sher Rehman Pathan — all residents of Swat — and 41-year-old Saindad, son of Qasim Bhatti, a resident of Sanghar district.

The injured included Mohammad Hussain, 26, son of Mohammad Yamin Khan Pathan; Najeebullah, 36, son of Mohammad Syed Pathan; Malikzada, 25, son of Bakhtzada; Naimatullah, 35, son of Bakhroz Khan Pathan — all residents of Swat — and Gul Hassan, 38, son of Ako Babar, a resident of the Meting railway station area.

Rescue teams and local residents recovered the victims from the mine following an intensive operation. The injured were moved to hospitals in Jhirrik, Kotri and Hyderabad for emergency treatment while the bodies were transported to a local facility for the completion of medico-legal formalities.

DSP Jhirrik Wajid Thaheem confirmed the collapse occurred during operations at the Ibrahim Coal Mine, leaving four miners dead and five injured. He stated that a report has been officially registered and a police investigation is underway.

Sources said the condition of some injured workers was critical.

Local residents and labour rights activists warned that such accidents are a recurring feature of the area’s coal mines, citing a systemic lack of safety measures and administrative negligence. They alleged that despite a history of fatalities, the authorities have failed to enforce safety standards, leading to what they described as “preventable tragedies”.

Published in Dawn, May 15th, 2026