ISLAMABAD: In a remarkable incident in Mardan, a worker survived for 17 days after being trapped in a marble mine following a landslide, a rescue many are calling nothing short of a miracle.
The tragic incident occurred on March 31 in the Palodheri area of Mardan, where workers were busy inside a marble mine when a landslide caused huge rocks to fall from the mountain.
Eight workers lost their lives after being buried under the debris, three were injured, and one worker, Abdul Wahab, remained missing.
Rescue 1122 teams recovered the bodies of the deceased and rescued the injured on the first day, but the search for the missing worker continued for days.
Finally, on April 16, after 17 days of a difficult rescue operation, Abdul Wahab was found alive inside the tunnel, leaving not only the local community but the entire world astonished.
Speaking to the media, Abdul Wahab shared his incredible story of survival.
He said the incident happened around 4:30 PM during Asr time, and despite being trapped, he never lost consciousness or hope.
He remained calm and mentally strong throughout the ordeal.
He explained that he stayed under the rubble for 17 days and, although there were many challenges, he never gave up.
He kept believing that he would come out alive and safe. He said he never lost consciousness even for a second.
Abdul Wahab said he offered all five daily prayers, even though he had no idea whether it was day or night.
Fajr prayer became his daily target, while the other prayers gave him peace of mind. He also offered voluntary prayers and kept remembering Allah.
Regarding survival, he said he only had access to water, mainly rainwater dripping inside the mine.
Since it had rained, the amount of water increased, but there was no chance of finding food.
Recalling the emotional moments, he said he constantly thought about his family, especially his mother and father.
He became emotional remembering his mother, who was ill and under treatment in the hospital at that time. He even cried thinking about her and prayed for her recovery.
He added that he never let go of hope and kept telling himself that he would be rescued safely, whether after 10 days, 20 days, or even a month.
When rescuers finally came close, he shouted for help, and by the grace of Allah, his voice reached them.
He said that when he was finally rescued, he was surprisingly in normal condition.
The space where he stayed was extremely small, with barely enough room to move.
He only moved out to perform ablution when enough water was available.
He also explained that moving from one place to another inside the mine was very dangerous, but he kept walking as much as possible so that his legs would not become weak or stop functioning.
Abdul Wahab ended by saying that mining work is extremely difficult and dangerous, and contractors should take better care of workers’ safety and well-being.
