A tragedy is unfolding in a coal mine in Afghanistan which collapsed, trapping 32 people. The latter, located in the district of Dara-i Sof Payin, in the province of Samangan (north), collapsed on Saturday evening, declared the spokesperson for the governor of Samangan, Esmat Muradi. And the toll could be even more worrying because the authorities do not know “how many of them are dead or alive,” he added.
In the meantime, a race against time has begun to try to save the miners. “The excavators and rescuers have been working since early in the morning but unfortunately the opening of the mine is not yet clear,” explained the official.
A dangerous mining industry
And this is not the first time that Afghanistan has been affected by this type of tragedy. The mining industry is poorly monitored and fatal accidents are frequent. Workers often operate in crude pits without proper equipment or safety equipment.
At least ten miners died in February 2022 after being trapped underground. In June 2020, seven workers were killed after a gas explosion caused a landslide at a mine in Samangan. A year earlier, at least 30 people died in a gold mine collapse in Badakhshan province, where another gold mine collapsed in January last year, leaving a number unknown victims.
Swiss
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