Staff Report
PESHAWAR: At least two labourers were killed while another sustained injuries in a blast at a coal mine in Lower Orakzai tribal region’s Khuno Sam area on Saturday, an official said.
District Police Officer Nazir Khan said that three labourers were trapped in the coal mine earlier today after what is believed to be a gas blast.
The police officer said rescue officials, local volunteers and police personnel rushed to the scene and managed to recover two dead bodies.
Gas blast in coalmine
The remaining labourer was rescued from the rubble in a critically injured condition, and the injured person was shifted to Kohat Hospital for medical treatment.
Last month, nine coal mine workers were killed in a similar incident in the Doli area of Orakzai. Subsequently, a team from the mineral development department inspected the incident site and said that the blast occurred “due to gas sparks inside the coal mine”.
Coal reserves are found in the Orakzai district near the Afghan border, and mine accidents are common, mainly due to gas build-ups.
