Six workers dead and five hospitalized...
Officials said a poisonous gas leak inside a coal mine in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province killed at least six workers and hospitalized five others on Friday. According to rescue officials, the workers died after the mine was filled with gas.
According to an official working with the mines, there were 11 workers and thousands of feet down in the mine when the poisonous gas trapped them inside. Other coal miners called rescue workers and also did their best to rescue their co-workers but six died due to the gas.
Following the completion of the necessary official procedures, the hospital administration handed over the dead bodies of the coal miners to their heirs. The incident is not the first of its kind in the province, which is rich in natural resources but where worker safety is unchecked and unsupervised.
According to Peer Muhammad Kakar, the central leader of the Pakistan mines association, workers continue to work in hazardous conditions inside coal mines despite repeated reminders to government departments and authorities.
"The mine owners and contractors have good links with the government and authorities and whenever such incidents happen no action is ever taken against them for negligence. Some compensation is paid to the victims' heirs, and everyone forgets about it," he continues.
He went to say that these mines are nothing but death holes that has claimed thousands of lives in the past few years.
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