An important rescue operation was launched in the Malook Abad area of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Swat district after a section of an Emerald mine collapsed on Wednesday night, catching several workers underground.
According to the initial reports of Rescue 1122 Swat, the mine suddenly yielded during the extraction activity.
“Upon receiving the alert, the emergency officer of the district immediately sent a specialized disaster response team to the site, where a large -scale rescue operation was launched without delay,” said Rescue 1122 Shafiqa Gul spokesman.
Gul confirmed that four mines rescuers entered the collapsed axis, working to reach and recover the trapped people.
“Rescue efforts were urgently carried out, using all available resources, including modern equipment, ambulances and medical equipment parked on the site,” he said, added that additional support from nearby mines and emergency units has been requested to accelerate the operation.
“We are doing everything in our ability to guarantee a safe and successful rescue,” Gul said, adding that the emergency officer of the Swat Rafiullah Marwat district also reached the site of the incident and personally supervise the operation.
However, ocular witnesses and local workers expressed concern about the lack of scientific methods and security measures traditionally used in such mining operations, according to a Dawn.com correspondent on the scene.
“These emerald mines are running in a completely non -scientific and unregulated way,” said local resident Abid Ali Jan Dawn.comadding that security protocols are often neglected in the search for profits.
Mining in the lush Swat mountains, particularly for emeralds, has been criticized for poor regulation and inappropriate supervision, often putting the lives of workers at serious risk.
“We have even informed that some residents located in the same mountain, closer to the mine, carry out illegal mining and have made the land under many shallow houses,” said Ihasanullah, a resident of Malook Abad near the mine. “Despite the complaints, the authorities do not take measures against them.”
The current incident has once again called the pressing need of standardized security frameworks and adequate training for mines workers in the region.
The rescue teams continued the operation, while the anxious family and local gathered near the site.
