MITHI, May 13: A nine-member team of engineers and experts of the Shenhua, a corporation of China, which has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Sindh for exploration of Thal coal and setting coal fired power plant in Thar, arrived here on Sunday.

The team, accompanied by Sindh mines and mineral development minister Deewan Mohammad Yousuf, first arrived at Islamkot and then proceeded to Thahario-Halepoto, a rich coal area, about 65 km from here.

Talking to journalists, Mr Yousaf told that a comprehensive mineral policy had been devised on the directives of the president for earliest tapping and utilization of these resources which would give a boost to the economy of the country as well as for the development of Thar region.

He said excavation on the Thar coal project had already been initiated, and hoped that it would provide employment to thousands of locals.

The spokesperson for the Chinese team said that the discovery of vast deposits of coal from Thar indicated that this area had great potential for development.