ISLAMABAD: Two miners have been killed when a coal mine collapsed at the Khost area of Harnai district in Pakistan's Balochistan province on Sunday, the second mining disaster in the area within a week.
The incident happened two days after 11 miners were killed in a coal mine collapsed in the Sanjdi area near Quetta.
In the latest incident, a portion of the mine in the Khost area of the Harnai district caved in after cracks developed while eight workers were inside. Six of the miners were rescued immediately following the collapse, but two miners could not be saved.
The mines and minerals department has closed the mine following the incident and ordered an inquiry.
Labour Federation leaders criticised the government for its failure to enforce safety regulations, as no officials visited the site. They said the recurring tragedies underscored the urgent need for reforms to protect the lives of vulnerable coal miners.
Coal mine collapses and death of workers happens frequently in the coal-rich western Balochistan known for hazardous working conditions and poor safety standards.
In March last year, at least 12 miners were killed in a gas explosion at a coalpit in Harnai.
In May 2018, 23 people were killed and 11 wounded after two neighbouring coal mines collapsed in Sanjdi while 43 workers also died in 2011 when gas explosions triggered a collapse in another Balochistan colliery.