Syed Ali Shah :
QUETTA: “Dead or alive, we all were praying to come out of the mine”, a Harnai coal mine survivor narrates the ordeal. Muhammad Omar, a young miner was one of the three hapless coal miners trapped in a mine in Balochistan’s Harani district on March 22nd.
“We saw death from a very close for five days and nights”, he recalled the troubled movements with tears in his eyes. The three coal miners were trapped 1300 feet deep inside the mine. District administration Harnai and mines and mineral department launched a combined rescue operation to make sure unhurt recovery of the trapped miners.
“There was a huge blast inside the coal mine when we entered”, Omar recalls
“There was a huge blast inside the coal mine when we entered it (mine) early in the morning”, Omar said as his voice cracks while recalling the incident. Rescue workers had reached the spot and rescue three coal miners. However, three miners were trapped inside the mine.
With every passing hour, hope was fast fading in that black hole where we were stuck, Omar said. All three coal miners were brought to trauma center civil hospital Quetta for medical treatment. “It is indeed a miracle, they all are stable”, Dr. Muhammad Saleem, a doctor on duty told this scribe. As a precautionary measure, we provided oxygen to the rescued miners, Mr. Saleem mentioned.
District administration and rescue workers deserve appreciation
Deputy Commissioner Harnai, Sardar Rafique Tareen, Dawood Khan of the PPHI and rescue workers from mines and mineral department including chief inspector mine, Abdul Ghani Mashwani made hectic efforts to ensure the recovery of trapped miners.
Hazardous working conditions inside coal mines of Balochistan have claimed thousand of precious human lives during last two decades. Methane gas blasts have become order of the day in Dukki, Mach, Harnai, Sorange and other areas.
Around 1,00,000 miners have been working in coal mines of Balochistan. Most of the coal mine workers belong to Swat, Shangla and some parts of Southwestern Afghanistan.
