MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan: Four workers have died from gas asphyxiation at a coal mine in Tala Wa Barfak district of Afghanistan’s northern Baghlan province, Afghan media reported on Sunday.
The incident occurred at an informal coal mine that did not meet safety standards, according to Sayed Mustafa Hashimi, head of the Baghlan provincial information department.
The state-run Northern Coal Enterprise separately said the four workers died after toxic gases accumulated inside the mine.
Hashimi told AFP that the men were extracting coal when the accident occurred. They suffocated because of gas and died, he said.
The Northern Coal Enterprise said the mine was one of the informal and non-standard operations in Tala Wa Barfak.
After the accident, the enterprise sent a team of technical engineers to the site to respond and attempt to rescue the workers, it said.
The rescue operation faced serious difficulties because of the high concentration of toxic gases inside the mine. The efforts to rescue the workers were unsuccessful, the enterprise said.
The enterprise warned that mining without proper safety measures, adequate ventilation and technical supervision posed serious risks to workers’ lives.
Frequent mining accidents in Afghanistan
Afghanistan’s mining industry is poorly regulated, and fatal accidents are common.
The country produces coal as well as marble, minerals, gold and precious stones.
In July last year, six miners were killed and 18 others injured when a coal mine collapsed in Baghlan province.
The latest incident again highlights the risks faced by workers in Afghanistan’s mining sector, particularly at mines operating without adequate safety measures and technical oversight.
