Around 35 Miners Trapped in Afghanistan Coal Mine Incident
Click to start listening
Aybak, Dec 15 (NationPress) Approximately 35 miners have become trapped beneath the debris of a coal mine in Afghanistan's Samangan province, local officials reported on Sunday.
The provincial health director, Sayed Usman Hamidi, confirmed the number of miners trapped under the rubble, stating that rescue teams and health personnel have been dispatched to the site to assist in the rescue efforts, according to Xinhua news agency.
According to a statement from the provincial police office released on Sunday, initial reports suggest that several miners were working in a coal mine in the Dara-i-Sufi Payin district of Samangan province yesterday when part of the mine collapsed, trapping them under the debris.
The statement also mentioned that police personnel, local officials, and villagers have hurried to the scene to aid in rescuing the miners trapped beneath the rubble.
Rescue operations are ongoing to save the workers trapped under the debris, but as per local Taliban officials, no one has yet been rescued.
The incident occurred at approximately 6 p.m. on Saturday, as reported by Bakhtar News Agency.
Earlier this week, two workers lost their lives due to gas exposure at a coal mine in Bamiyan province’s Khwaja Ganj village.
In February 2002, at least 10 miners perished after being trapped underground when a coal mine collapsed in Afghanistan.
In 2019, officials reported that at least 30 people died in the collapse of a gold mine in Badakhshan province, specifically in the Kohistan district.
Afghanistan is rich in mineral resources, but many of its mines are antiquated and poorly maintained.
The mining sector in Afghanistan has experienced numerous fatal accidents, often due to insufficient safety measures and lack of appropriate equipment.
