Surinj Tragedy: Deaths of 34 Workers Were No Natural Accident, but the Result of Ruthless Profit-Seeking and Criminal Negligence

Quetta (Daily Qudrat Quetta): The coal-mine accident that occurred two months ago at Surinj, near Quetta, was not merely a natural mishap but the outcome of grave negligence, weak oversight and a mindset that ignored workers’ lives in pursuit of profit alone. Several shocking disclosures about the tragedy have emerged after inquiry reports by various departments and the CMIT.

In the accident, 34 miners were killed, 33 of them from Shangla district, most from the same village. Three brothers from one family and their uncle were also among the dead.

According to the investigation reports, the private company, which extracted coal worth more than two billion rupees in three years, did not even provide its workers with clean drinking water. Living conditions were extremely poor, and most workers had not been registered with the Employees’ Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI).

The report reveals that weak wooden supports, coal dust and other safety defects had already been identified in the mine before the accident, but the management showed criminal negligence. The most serious disclosure is that explosives were being used illegally inside the mine. The company had neither a licence for their use nor any expert on site, and the horrific accident occurred as a result of the explosion of this material. Workers under the age of 16 were also being forced to work in the mine.

The report has also raised sharp questions about the role of the government body PMDC, which handed mining rights in the leased area to a private company and detached itself from all responsibility.

The inquiry reports have established that the disregard of safety SOPs and the greed for profit left 34 households devastated. It remains to be seen what legal action will now be taken against those responsible in the light of these alarming disclosures.