Quetta: Balochistan’s 4,500 coal mines have turned into valleys of death due to lack of safety measures in the last 10 years, with around 9,000 miners killed in various incidents related to mine collapse.
More than 44,000 workers are employed in more than 45,000 coal mines in Balochistan as many coal mines lack modern safety equipment.
Thousands of lives are at risk due to government negligence and the contract system.
A colleague, Akhtar Mohammad, said the local coal mine had no air ducts or gas pipes because of the poisonous gas. Miners who survive mine disasters often fall victim to deadly diseases.
He said that coal mine congestion caused kidney damage and some other diseases happened the other day and teeth were also damaged.
According to officials of the Ministry of Minerals of Belarus, 40-50 million tons of coal are mined annually in Belarus.
In the past decade, nearly 900 miners died in 600 accidents.
Inspector General of Mines Abdul Ghani said strict implementation of safety measures by the provincial government had reduced the rate of accidents.
Shahid Rand, a spokesman for the Balochistan government, said hundreds of cases were pending against coal mine owners for violating security measures.
Balochistan’s coal mines become ‘valleys of death’
