KOHAT, Dec 3: Four miners were killed after an explosion in a coalmine in the Orakzai Agency. Three of the deceased had to be taken to Peshawar because of lack of health facilities in their area.

Miners said that their colleagues could have been saved if there had been a properly-equipped medical facility in the area.

Officials believe the explosion was caused by gas accumulation in the mine but there has been no inquiry into the incident. Names of the deceased or injured could not be ascertained.

Three days ago, three miners were injured after a mine collapsed in the same area. Six others, who had been trapped inside a mine, were saved after efforts lasting several hours.

There have been many incidents in which critically injured miners were brought to Kohat in ambulances without oxygen kits. Moreover, there is no burns treatment facility anywhere in the southern NWFP.

There are more than 10,000 labourers working in 110 mines in Darra Adam Khel and Orakzai agencies. The miners are paid Rs400 a day for working at a depth of 1,200 to 1,400 feet.

There are no recreational, medical or educational facilities although the political administrations of Orakzai and Darra Adam Khel tribal areas earn Rs30,000 a day in taxes on coal export from the area.

The miners are forced to work without proper safety gadgets while the contractors earn millions of rupees in profit. In some areas, untrained tribesmen work the mines themselves to save more money while the government also did not launch any awareness campaign to teach them proper mining techniques.