PESHAWAR: Four miners were trapped under debris after an emerald mine collapsed in the Malook Abad area of Swat district on Wednesday evening, officials said.
According to initial reports, the incident occurred when workers were inside the underground mine, extracting emeralds, and a section of the mine’s roof suddenly caved in, burying four miners under the rubble.
The officials said a rescue operation led by local authorities is currently ongoing to rescue the trapped miners.
Upon receiving information about the collapse, rescue teams from Rescue 1122 and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minerals Department rushed to the site and launched an operation to retrieve the trapped labourers.
Despite several hours of efforts, the workers had not yet been rescued as of Thursday morning.
Officials from the Mines Department told Hum News English that the collapse occurred around 8pm in a licensed mining area in Malookabad, Mingora. An inspector from the department is supervising the operation, and authorities confirmed that the miners are alive and currently being provided with oxygen through alternative means.
Specialised rescue teams from the Jalozai station have also been dispatched to the site to assist in the recovery efforts.
Authorities expressed hope that the trapped miners would be safely evacuated soon.
