Six labourers suffocate to death in Fata coal mine

KOHAT: Six labourers suffocated to death Tuesday night when a coal mine in Kala Khel area, situated on the border of FR Kohat and FR Peshawar overfilled, with gas.

According to sources, gas produced from the coals filled mine number 10 with gas when labourers were working inside. Since, they were not equipped with any safety device, the labourers died.

The deceased include Azizullah, Nisar, Kareemullah and Shah Syed.

The mine is situated in an area of the frontier regions located adjacent to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Around 30 mines are situated in the area, where labourers mainly from Mingora in Swat, and Dir work.

The miners are at a constant risk of safety hazards as they do not have any equipment required to protect them from the gases that accumulate inside. Besides suffocation, there is also the danger of blasts that could occur if a matchstick is lit and reacts with the accumulated gas. The subsequent blast could then also cause the coal mine to collapse.

This is the reason why multiple incidents of blasts and deaths due to suffocation have occurred in the area.