1 Pak miner rescued, 4 bodies recovered after coal mine collapses

After over 40 hours, authorities on Tuesday rescued a coal miner and recovered the bodies of four others who were trapped in a coal mine following an underground fire in Pakistan's resource-rich Balochistan province.

At least 11 miners were trapped on Sunday more than a kilometre underground after the fire started in the coal mine following an electrical short circuit. Rescue efforts were hampered by the fire spreading poisonous gas inside the mine near Balochistan's capital Quetta.

One coal miner was rescued alive on Tuesday while the bodies of 4 have been recovered, Director General Provincial Disaster Management Authority Imran Khan Zarkoon was quoted as saying by the Dawn News.

He said the search operations were still underway for the remaining 6 miners.

The Minister of Mines and Minerals Development of Balochistan Shafqat Fayyaz, said that the authorities were trying their level best to rescue the miners.

Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Alyani has directed the Provincial Disaster Management Authority to deploy its technical team and ensure the safe recovery of the workers, provincial government spokesperson Liaquat Shahwani said.

The presence of poisonous gas inside the mine prevented easy access to the mine. Also, six relief workers participating in the rescue operation fell unconscious due to toxic gas in the mine and had to be evacuated, The Express Tribune reported.

Poor working conditions inside coal mines in Balochistan claim the lives of miners on an almost daily basis in Harnai, Sowrange, Dukki, Mach and other parts of the province, but often go unreported, the report said.

According to the Pakistan Central Mines Labour Federation (PCMLF), between 100 and 200 labourers die on an average in coal mine accidents every year in the country.