11 coal miners martyred in Harnai IED blast

QUETTA: At least 11 coal miners were martyred and seven others injured when a roadside bomb targeted a vehicle carrying the miners in coal mine area Shahrag town of Harnai district, on Friday.

Officials said that the incident took place in Takari coal mine field area of Shahrag Tehsil in Harnai district when a powerful blast occurred at the road leading to the coal mine area.

They said that unknown miscreants planted explosive device at the roadside connecting Shahrag town to the coal mine area of Takari and targeted the vehicle carrying the coal miners to Shahrag town for weekly shopping.

“As result of the powerful explosion nine mine laborers lost their lives on the spot and nine others got injured as the vehicle was completely destroyed in the blast,” Deputy Commissioner, Harnai, Hazrat Wali Agha said. The seven injured were shifted to the Civil Hospital, Quetta.

The victims of the blast belonged to the Swat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and their bodies would be dispatched to their native areas. Ten injured were identified as Iqbal Hussian, Javed, Umer Ali, Dulatmand, Bacha Hussain, Hazrat Khan, Hanifullah Gul, Rehmat Ullah, Ayazullah and Rehmat Shahid. The injured also included Mohtaram, Abdul Malik, Umer Ali, Bkhat Zahir, Yarzada, M Rawan and Shabaz Ali. No group has claimed responsibility for the bomb attack on the labourers’ vehicle.

Balochistan Governor Sheikh Jaffar Khan Mandokhail, Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti, provincial ministers Noor Muhammad Dummar, Engineer Zamrak Khan Achakzai, Mir Saleem Khosa, Mir Sadiq Umrani and Babar Yousafzai have strongly condemned the incident. The chief minister ordered an immediate and comprehensive probe into the tragic incident and emphasised that a rigorous operation would continue against elements seeking to disrupt peace of Balochistan.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the blast in Shahrag area of Harnai district, Balochistan, expressing deep sorrow over the loss of precious lives.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif strongly condemned the blast.