QUETTA: Five Afghan nationals, including two brothers, died after inhaling poisonous gas in a coal mine in Shahrag coal field in Harnai district, on Saturday.

Officials said that six coal miners went deep into a private coal mine early in the morning and started digging coal. During the dig­ging, poisonous methane gas accumulated ins­ide.

They fell unconscious due to the accumulation of methane gas, levies officials said.

When those outside the coal mine realized that there was no response from those inside the mine, they informed the contractor of the coal mine and officials of the chief inspectorate about the incident. Subsequently, rescue teams rushed to the site and launched an operation to rescue the miners.

However, when the rescuers reached deep inside the mine, they found five miners dead. They managed to recover one coal miner, who was unconscious. The bodies were recovered and shifted to the district hospital where doctors declared them dead.

The Balochistan mines chief inspector has sealed the affected mine and ordered a probe into the fatal incident.

The coal miner recovered unconscious was hospitalised and later identified as Khan Mohammad.

The deceased belonging to Afghanistan were identified as Rahman Shah, Shafiullah, Zubair Allah and Matiullah. One of the miners could not be identified. The bodies would be sent to their native area in Afghanistan.

Published in Dawn, September 15th, 2024