Two more bodies retrieved from Mohmand marble mine

GHALLANAI: The death toll from the Ziarat marble mine collapse incident in Mohmand district hit 27 mark as rescue workers retrieved two more bodies on Thursday.

The rescue workers retrieved the bodies of Zafar Khan and Tilawat Khan after hectic efforts of search for the last four days on the site of collapsed marble quarry in Ziarat area in Safi tehsil. The locals said that search for the more missing persons was continuing.

Meanwhile, the authorities banned mining of marble in the area for an indefinite period following the tragic incident and casualties of several labourers. The relevant authorities said that standard operating procedures (SOPs) would be devised to ensure safety of the workers, vehicles and other material and prevent recurrence of such gory incidents.

Jamaat-e-Islami provincial chief visited the site of the Ziarat marble mine and expressed deep sorrow with the bereaved families. He criticised the government for announcing a meagre amount of compensation for the victim families.

Also, a ceremony was held at Ziarat Post where the victim families were given compensation cheques. Brigadier Rauf Shahzad and Colonel Muhammad Jamil distributed compensation among the affected families.