Two more miners from Shangla lose their lives

SHANGLA: Two more miners hailing from the Shangla district died in different incidents in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, raising the number of casualties to 123 while hundreds of others were injured this year.

Shah Rahman, a resident of the far-off Basi area in Alpuri tehsil, electrocuted while working in a coalmine in Machh area in Bolan of Balochistan province.

Another incident, Ziauddin Jan, a resident of Pagorai in Alpuri tehsil, was working in a chromite quarry in Dargai area in Malakand district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa when a gas explosion occurred.

He sustained serious injuries and died on the spot.

A few days ago, miners from Alpuri identified as Sarbali Khan and Rahman had died in a coalmine at Shahrag town in Balochistan’s Harnai district due to the accumulation of gases inside the quarry.

Also, one Noor Hassan had died in a coalmine in Balochistan while Shafiullah and Sardar Khan, who, too, hailed from Shangla, had sustained injuries while working inside a mine in Kohat district.

It may be mentioned that many people from Shangla work in mines across the country to earn a living. They risk losing their lives as no safety measures are allegedly taken to protect them.

Most miners across Pakistan come from a picturesque Shangla district where almost everyone knows someone who has worked in dangerous conditions with little protection.

Many families in the mountainous Shangla district have lost loved ones to mining accidents, while others struggle to look after those who were injured or who suffer from diseases caused by harsh working conditions.