Ayobamiji Komolafe 
No fewer than 32 miners have been reportedly trapped in a collapsed coal mine in Dara-i Sof Payin district of Samangan province, northern Afghanistan, late Saturday night.
The tragic incident confirmed by Esmat Muradi, the provincial governor’s spokesman further revealed that the rescue efforts have been ongoing since early Sunday morning.
“Thirty-two people are trapped, and it’s not clear how many of them are dead or alive,” Muradi said.
Rescuers, supported by excavators, are working tirelessly to clear the mine’s blocked entrance, but significant progress has yet to be achieved.
The Afghan mining sector, despite its resource richness in coal, marble, minerals, gold, and gemstones, suffers from poor oversight and unsafe working conditions.
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Workers often operate in makeshift pits without adequate safety equipment or protective gear, leaving them vulnerable to such catastrophic accidents.
Sunday Telegraph recalls that in February 2022, 10 miners perished when a coal mine collapsed in Baghlan province.
Also, In June 2020, seven workers were killed due to a gas explosion that caused a cave-in in Samangan.
Similarly in 2019, a gold mine collapse in Badakhshan province claimed at least 30 lives.
Another gold mine incident occurred in January 2023 in Badakhshan, with casualties remaining unconfirmed.
The frequent recurrence of such incidents underscores the critical need for improved safety regulations and modernized mining practices in Afghanistan’s mining industry.
Rescue teams remain hopeful but face challenging conditions as they continue efforts to save the trapped miners.
