Three labourers killed as coal mine collapses in Pak

Islamabad, Dec 28 (IANS) At least three labourers were killed and two others injured when part of a coal mine collapsed in Pakistan's southwest Balochistan province on Thursday, officials said.

The miners were working in the deep cave when it collapsed in Dukki area of the province, senior police officer Sardar Hashim said.

He said a large number of labourers reached the site following the accident, and shifted the injured miners to a nearby hospital, Xinhua news agency reported.

Pakistan has more than 184 billion tonnes of coal in reserve and it produces 4 million tonnes of coal annually. However, the mines are notorious for their unsafe working conditions and accidents are frequent due to lack of modern equipment.

According to the Pakistan Central Mines Labour Federation, about 100 to 200 labourers were killed or injured in coal mine accidents across the country every year.

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