PESHAWAR: At least four workers trapped nearly 900 feet underground in an emerald mine in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province were rescued during an operation, rescue officials said on Thursday.
The mine collapse occurred in the Babuzai area of Swat Valley, a region famed for producing emeralds with deep green hues. Despite its potential, Pakistan’s mining sector is plagued by outdated practices and lax safety standards that frequently put workers at risk.
“Rescue 1122 successfully rescued four workers from the emerald mine,” its spokesperson Bilal Ahmad Faizi said in a statement.
“Rescue 1122 medical teams are providing immediate medical aid to the workers in ambulances.”
Faizi said the operation, which involved around 40 personnel and lasted several hours, was made successful due to “trained personnel and modern equipment.”
There was no official confirmation on what caused the mine collapse.
State-run media reported that Pakistan Army rescue teams also took part in the effort.
Poor enforcement of safety protocols has led to repeated accidents in Pakistan’s mining industry, particularly in coal operations, where dozens of miners die each year in explosions and collapses. Miners often complain that owners fail to install even basic protective equipment.
In January, rescuers recovered the bodies of 11 coal miners who died after a methane gas explosion caused a mine collapse in southwestern Pakistan.
