Five colliers killed in Kurram’s mine collapse belong to Shangla

ALPURI: Five of the six miners, who had trapped inside a coalmine and lost their lives in the Tora Warai area of Kurram tribal district on Saturday, belonged to Shangla district.

Colliers were mining inside a coalmine in Tora Warai area of Kurram when the mine suddenly collapsed, trapping six miners inside. Five of the trapped miners belonged to Puran tehsil in Shangla, while one miner was reported to be from Swat district.

Those from Shangla who lost their lives included Tajullah, Zewarur Rehman, Shaukat and Jan Muhammad, the residents of Isharkot in Puran, and Nazullah, resident of Landai in Puran

The body of Zewarur Rehman was recovered from the coalmine while efforts were going on to retrive the remaining five bodies. After the incident, local volunteers and rescue teams rushed to the site and launched a rescue operation.

According to sources, a portion of the mine collapsed due to a landslide, trapping the workers inside.

Rescue teams, local volunteers and other departments were jointly working to retrieve the bodies of the miners, but the depth of the mine and the presence of water inside were creating serious difficulties in the operation.

Miners from underdeveloped areas like Puran in Shangla travel far from their homes in search of livelihood, working under dangerous conditions.

However, a lack of effective safety measures for their protection is clearly evident. Officials have not yet issued any confirmed statement regarding the condition of the trapped miners.

Hundreds of families from Shangla district have become victims of coalmine incidents all over the country, most of which result from official apathy and lack of safety measures by mine owners.

Owing to the rough terrain, scarce employment opportunities and lack of basic civic facilities, the residents have no other choice but to look for jobs as mine workers all over the country to eke out a living.