4 miners die from toxic gas suffocation at Baghlan coal mine — Pajhwok

PUL-I-KHUMRI (Pajhwok): Four workers have died from suffocation after toxic gases accumulated at a coal mine in Tala wa Barfak district of northern Baghlan province, the state-run Northern Coal Enterprise said on Sunday. In a statement, the enterprise said the incident occurred at one of the informal and non-standard coal mines in the district. It said the four workers died after being exposed to a buildup of toxic gases inside the mine. Following the incident, a team of technical engineers from the Northern Coal Enterprise was dispatched to the site to respond to the accident and rescue the workers. However, the rescue operation faced serious difficulties due to the high concentration of toxic gases inside the mine, and efforts to rescue the workers were unsuccessful. The enterprise warned that mining operations conducted without proper safety measures, adequate ventilation and technical supervision could pose serious risks to workers’ lives. Officials from the enterprise stressed that adherence to safety standards, technical supervision and taking necessary measures to prevent accidents are essential for mining operations at mines under its supervision.