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13 feared dead in northern Pakistan mine collapse


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13 feared dead in northern Pakistan mine collapse

2012-01-26 18:09:44 GMT+7 (ICT)

ABBOTTABAD, PAKISTAN (BNO NEWS) -- Thirteen people are feared to have been killed after a phosphate mine collapsed in the northern region of Pakistan on Wednesday, local media reported on Thursday.

The accident happened at around 2 p.m. local time when a phosphate mine in the remote village of Tarnawai union council, located about 28 kilometers (17.3 miles) from Abbottabad, collapsed while workers were having lunch at the mouth of the mine.

Abbottabad district coordination officer Imtiaz Hussain confirmed that eleven mine workers were killed, but sources told the Express Tribune newspaper that two owners were also buried and believed to have been killed. The mine is about 70 feet (21 meters) deep, according to villagers.

The newspaper said the two mine owners were also excavating phosphate alongside the workers at the private mine, which was not managed by the country's mineral department.

Official rescue operations were not initiated for hours after the incident as the area is practically impossible to access through roads. Local villagers rushed to the scene and began excavating through the rubble, but the harsh winter weather and rainfall has made their efforts more difficult.

In addition, the local Abbottabad District administration lacks heavy machinery needed to dig through the thick layers of earth. Police sources, meanwhile, said official rescue operations would begin later on Thursday.

In September 2011, at least sixteen workers were killed when a large explosion ripped through a marble mine in the Bhuhama area of Buner in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which is located in northwestern Pakistan.

And in March 2011, a coal mine explosion in the Surran range, located in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province, killed 45 workers. The blast was reportedly caused by a buildup of toxic gases due to the mine's lack of ventilation.

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-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2012-01-26

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