Two Miners Die, Four Fall Unconscious in Duki Coal Mine Gas Incident

QUETTA: Two coal miners died and four others lost consciousness after being exposed to poisonous gas inside a mine in Duki, Balochistan, on Saturday, according to rescue officials. The workers were affected after entering a coal mine where toxic gases had accumulated during an extended period in which the site had remained closed.

Rescue sources said emergency teams responded after the workers were overcome inside the mine. The bodies of the two deceased miners and the four unconscious workers were removed from the site and transported to a hospital. Immediate details about the condition of the surviving workers, their identities and the medical treatment being provided were not disclosed in the initial report.

According to the rescue account, the mine had not been operating for a considerable period before the workers entered it. During that shutdown, poisonous gas had accumulated underground, creating dangerous conditions. The exposure proved fatal for two miners shortly after they entered, while four others were rendered unconscious. Authorities had not announced a detailed technical assessment identifying the exact composition or concentration of the gas involved in Saturday's incident.

The Duki accident comes amid renewed concern over safety in Balochistan's coal-mining areas following another major mining disaster in the province last month. In July, 34 miners were reported dead after a gas explosion triggered a collapse at a coal mine in the Sorange area on the outskirts of Quetta. Forty-two workers were inside that mine when the explosion occurred, and rescue teams carried out an extensive operation to recover those trapped underground.

In the Sorange case, the mine owner told media that methane gas had caused the explosion. That incident demonstrated the severe risks posed by underground gas accumulation in coal workings. However, rescue officials reporting Saturday's Duki deaths described the substance involved only as poisonous or toxic gas, and there was no immediate confirmation that the circumstances or gas involved were identical to those in the July disaster.

The latest deaths again put attention on conditions faced by workers in Balochistan's coal sector, where underground operations can become particularly dangerous when gases build up in enclosed spaces. The fact that the Duki mine had remained closed for an extended period before the workers entered will be an important factor for authorities to examine when assessing how the hazardous atmosphere developed and whether adequate precautions were taken before entry.

Further information is expected from local authorities and rescue officials regarding the health of the four surviving workers and any examination of the mine following the incident. At the time of the initial report, no detailed investigation findings, enforcement measures or timetable for reopening the affected mine had been announced. The deaths add to the toll from recent coal-mine accidents in Balochistan and are likely to renew scrutiny of safety procedures intended to protect workers before they enter potentially hazardous underground sites.