Blast in Afghan coal mine kills 7: official
Seven personnel were killed and many more feared dead in northern Afghanistan after a gas explosion induced a coal mine to collapse, the official said on Wednesday.
The incident happened on Tuesday in Samangan province, where similar disasters have already been reported during the past.
Two workers were killed immediately when the mine caved in, while five more bodies were recovered by rescue teams during the night, said Sediq Azizi, spokesman to the provincial governor.
He said another 11 staff were trapped inside.
“I don’t wonder we will see anybody alive because the mine is packed with poisonous gases,” Azizi said.
Countless mining accidents have already been reported in recent years on Afghanistan, with miners often working without proper equipment or safety training.
This past year six miners were killed on a gas explosion at a colliery on impoverished Samangan province.
