August 24, 2026
By Hafiz Ullah Storai Sherani
ISLAMABAD
A tragic incident occurred in the coal-rich Duki region of Balochistan when toxic gas accumulated inside a long-abandoned coal mine during an attempt at its reactivation.
According to officials from the Mines and Minerals Department, six workers descended into a local mine in Duki district which had been non-operational for a prolonged period to inspect conditions and resume coal extraction. Because of the extended closure in the mine, a lethal concentration of methane gas had accumulated inside. Shortly after descending into the depth of the mine, all six miners became trapped due to suffocating gas levels.
Upon receiving information, local miners and rescue teams launched an emergency operation. Rescuers utilized an adjacent active mine to pump fresh oxygen via air lines into the affected shaft, aiding breathing conditions before the personnel descended.
When rescue workers reached the trapped miners, two of them identified as Mohabbatullah and Rumi Muhammad were found dead due to suffocation caused by toxic methane gas, while four others were recovered in an unconscious state.
Local journalist Fareed Ullah Kakar told Voicepk, the unconscious workers were immediately shifted to District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital, Duki, where they recovered after receiving medical treatment and were subsequently discharged.
The Mines Department has sealed the mine and initiated a technical and legal investigation into the incident.
Meanwhile, following directives from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) distributed financial assistance cheques worth Rs2 million each to the families of 34 coal miners who lost their lives in a separate tragedy near Quetta on July 30.
An NDMA team, alongside local representative Dr. Ibadullah Khan, distributed the cheques among the bereaved families in Shangla district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According to the federal government, this assistance reflects solidarity with the affected families and reinforces its commitment to the safety and welfare of workers in high risk sectors.