Rescuers free 22 miners from collapsed coal mine in Afghanistan
Date
12/16/2024 3:05:08 AM
(MENAFN) On Sunday, rescuers successfully freed 22 miners who had been trapped for hours in a collapsed coal mine in northern Afghanistan, with no serious injuries reported. The incident occurred in the Dara-i Sof Payin district of Samangan province late Saturday, when the mine collapsed. Initially, authorities had reported that 32 miners were trapped, but this number was later revised to 22, according to Samangan Governor's spokesman Esmat Muradi.
Rescue efforts began early Sunday morning, with excavators working to open an entrance to the mine. After hours of painstaking effort, rescuers succeeded in reaching the trapped miners by Sunday night. Muradi confirmed that all 22 miners had been rescued. Although some miners were in poor condition initially, they received immediate first aid and were reported to be recovering well.
Afghanistan's mining industry suffers from a lack of regulation and oversight, leading to frequent and deadly accidents. Workers often operate in unsafe conditions, using rudimentary tools and lacking proper safety equipment. This tragic incident highlights the ongoing dangers faced by miners in Afghanistan, where the mining sector, including coal, marble, minerals, gold, and gemstones, remains underdeveloped and poorly regulated.
This is not the first mining accident in Afghanistan. In February 2022, at least 10 miners died after being trapped underground when a coal mine collapsed in the northern province of Baghlan. Such incidents continue to raise concerns about the safety standards in the country’s mining operations and the urgent need for better regulation and oversight.
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