Death toll rises to 11 after coal mine collapses in Pakistan's Balochistan

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The death toll in a coal mine collapse caused by methane gas accumulation and explosion has risen to 11 workers after rescuers discovered seven more remains, an official said, PTI reported.

On Wednesday evening, a coal mine in the Sanjdi district of Balochistan province collapsed, trapping twelve people.

According to Abdullah Shawani, the head of the province's mining department, 11 bodies were recovered throughout the three days of rescue efforts, and as of Saturday night, rescuers were still looking for the last worker inside the collapsed structure, PTI reported.

"There are little chances of the last worker surviving for so long in the collapsed mine," Shawani said.

"The incident occurred due to a buildup of gas, which caused an explosion and the mine to cave in," said Shahid Rind, Balochistan government spokesperson.

He further said that full-scale rescue operations were ongoing but the progress was slow due to the presence of toxic gas and debris, PTI reported.

He stated that a probe is underway to see whether appropriate mining regulations were adhered to.

According to Pir Muhammad Kakar, one of the heads of the Mines Workers Association, the tragedy happened because the coal mine owner failed to follow mining laws. He also accused authorities at the mines department of the occurrence.

Kakar called for tough measures against these authorities., PTI reported.

In coal-rich western Balochistan, which is notorious for its dangerous working conditions and lax safety regulations, coal mine disasters and worker fatalities occur regularly.

In March last year, about 12 miners were killed in a gas explosion at a coalpit in Harnai.

In May 2018, two nearby coal mines collapsed in Sanjdi, killing 23 people and injuring 11, while 43 workers also died in 2011 when gas explosions triggered a collapse in another Balochistan colliery.

153 from former PM Imran Khan's party to get bail in Pakistan

An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan granted bail to about 153 party workers of jailed former PM Imran Khan's party, over a month after they were arrested during a protest.

During a hearing, presided over by Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain, petitions of 177 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers were heard and bail was granted to 153 of them.

On November 13, Khan issued a "final call" for nationwide protests on November 26, demanding the restoration of the PTI's electoral mandate, the release of detained party members. Responding to his call, thousands of PTI workers reached Islamabad but faced a crackdown by police, forcibly dispersing them and arresting over 1,400.

It was reported that during a hearing on Friday, the court granted them bail against surety bonds of Rs 5,000 each. As per police, the cases of many other detained PTI workers were being processed and more bails could be granted in coming weeks.

(With agency inputs)