Five Shangla labourers die in mine collapse incidents

ALPURI: Four coalminers from the Shangla district lost their lives in a collapse incident in Hangu while one died quarry caved in the Swat district.

Late at Sunday night, an explosion occurred in a coal mine in Hangu, resulting in the deaths of four miners hailing from Shangla. The victims were identified as Jahan Bacha, Saib Gul, Ayub, and Naeemullah.

The bodies were shifted to the ancestral native villages in Shangla district after the funerals.Meanwhile, a labourer from Shangla died in an emerald mine in the Mingora town of Swat district. The victim was identified as Iqbal Muhammad.

Mine collapse incidents resulting in the deaths of Shangla labourers are rasing concerns among the people of the district.According to a survey conducted by a non-governmental organisation, more than 65 percent of the workforce in Shangla is associated with the coalmine industry, in which deaths occur frequently. Another survey indicated that over 1,000 miners in Shangla had become disabled after sustaining injuries in accidents, leaving them with no alternative for employment.The government is required to formulate a policy for the coalmining industry to ensure the safety of coalminers.