The deceased have been identified as Niaz Muhammad and Suleman. They belonged to Afghanistan, a private television channel reported. The bodies are being sent to their native villages in Afghanistan after the completion of medico-legal formalities.
According to statistics provided by the provincial Mines and Minerals Development Department, over 1,000 coal miners have died in such kind of incidents during the last 18 years in Balochistan. Mines in Balochistan are notorious for poor safety standards and bad ventilation. So far, 19 coal miners have been killed in Duki this month. Civil Hospital, Duki, MS Dr Jauhar Khan said that four to six cases of coal miners getting injured are reported every day. "We try our best," he said. He remarked that the hospital of the coal miners has been closed now. "We don't have a lot of doctors here. We are under a tremendous burden," he said.
Abdul Majeed Shah, a member of the Pakistan Labour Federation, said that Duki mines have become a death trap for the miners. "Accidents occur almost every day. Nineteen people have died in 27 days," he remarked. A representative of the miners' union said that a major reason why accidents occur so frequently is because no one takes any safety precautions. There aren't even mines inspectors he said.