12 Miners Trapped in Quetta Mine for Over 14 Hours, Rescue Efforts Underway

Quetta:In a distressing incident, 12 miners have been trapped in a mine in the Sanjidi area, located 40 kilometers from Quetta, for more than 14 hours. The miners were trapped following an explosion in the mine yesterday evening.

According to Shahid Rand, a spokesperson for the Balochistan government, the explosion occurred due to a gas buildup in the mine. Chief Inspector of Mines, Abdul Ghani Baloch, confirmed that the explosion completely blocked the mine’s passage, making rescue operations difficult. After several hours of efforts, the debris was cleared from the mine’s entrance, but the explosion caused the electrical cables inside the mine to be damaged. Currently, work is underway to lay new cables, after which a trolley will be used to reach the part of the mine where the miners were working.

Labor leader Lala Sultan expressed concern that the delay in rescue operations could put the lives of the trapped miners at severe risk.

In response, Balochistan’s Minister for Minerals and Finance, Mir Shoaib Nosherwani, has instructed Chief Inspector Ghani Baloch to send two additional teams to the affected area. The minister also directed the relevant authorities to take legal action against the mine owners if any violations of mining safety protocols are found. He emphasized that no mine owner is above the law and human life.

Mir Shoaib Nosherwani further instructed that rescue operations be expedited to ensure the miners’ safety and called for strict adherence to safety measures in all mines. He reassured that the government would take all necessary steps to protect the rights and safety of workers and has directed the Mines Department to provide modern facilities to prevent such accidents in the future.