DUKI: A coal miner lost his life and another fell unconscious after poisonous gas accumulated inside a coal mine in Dukki.
According to labour sources, the incident occurred during routine mining work when toxic gas suddenly spread inside the mine.
The affected workers were immediately rescued and shifted to the hospital for medical treatment.
Hospital authorities confirmed that the deceased miner was identified as Muhammad Nazar, son of Baloch Khan, belonging to the Kharoti tribe and a resident of Killi Mulla Abdulullah, Dukki.
The unconscious miner was identified as Rafiullah, son of Muhammad Afzal, who is currently receiving medical care.
Doctors stated that his condition is stable and he is out of danger.
Coal mining in Balochistan remains one of Pakistan’s most dangerous industries, with methane gas leakage and explosions claiming numerous lives each year.
The province’s vast coal reserves attract thousands of workers, mostly from impoverished areas, who descend into deep, poorly ventilated shafts where methane, a colorless, odorless, and highly explosive gas builds up rapidly during extraction.
Sudden accumulation leads to suffocation, blasts, or cave-ins, turning routine shifts into fatal tragedies.
Safety protocols are often neglected due to outdated equipment, absent gas monitoring devices, insufficient training, and lax regulatory oversight, even though existing laws mandate proper ventilation and hazard detection.
Over the years, hundreds of miners have perished in such incidents, with annual death tolls frequently reaching 100 to 200, though many cases go unreported.
High-profile accidents in areas like Harnai, Sanjdi, and Mastung have drawn temporary attention, yet systemic issues persist as mine owners prioritize production over worker protection.
Labor advocates and families of victims continue calling for stricter enforcement, modern safety measures, and accountability to end the cycle of preventable deaths in Balochistan’s coal fields.
