Afghanistan: Six workers killed, several injured in coal mine explosion

Kabul, July 23 (IANS) The death toll in an explosion at a coal mine in Afghanistan's Baghlan province has increased to six as several other injured workers continue to battle for life, the local officials stated on Wednesday.

Citing local Taliban officials, Afghan news agency Khaama Press reported that six people were killed in an explosion that took place at the Karkar coal mine in Baghlan.

Karkar coal mine head Mawlawi Abdullah said that 18 other workers were injured in the incident and were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment. The explosion reportedly took place on Monday afternoon. The authorities have not yet determined the exact cause and circumstances regarding the blast.

Coal mine workers often become victims of the deadly accidents that occur due to the unregulated and unsafe mining practices in Afghanistan. The coal mine explosion in Baghlan once again demonstrates the need for improved safety measures required in the mining sector in Afghanistan to prevent further loss of life.

Earlier in February, three workers were killed in a methane gas explosion at a coal mine in the Dara-e-Souf Bala district in Afghanistan's Samangan province.

Spokesperson for Afghanistan interim government's police in Samangan, Hashmatullah Rahmani, said that the incident took place in Leileh village of Dara-e-Souf Bala on February 12. He said that the security forces found the bodies of three workers under the rubble and handed them over to their families.

On February 10, two miners were killed in a mine explosion in the Dara-e-Souf district. Samangan is a province in Afghanistan, which is rich in natural resources, with hundreds of workers involved in mining operations. Despite the presence of natural resources in the province, the continued lack of safety measures and proper infrastructure continues to pose significant risk to workers' lives.

--IANS

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