KABUL, Afghanistan — Twenty-two miners have been rescued from a collapsed coal mine in Dara-i-Suf district, Samangan province, according to Taliban-controlled state media.
The collapse occurred in the Khak-e-Safid area, trapping 35 workers under the rubble. Rescue operations are ongoing to free the remaining miners, local Taliban officials said.
The incident took place around 6 p.m. on Saturday, December 14, according to Bakhtar News Agency. Efforts to recover the trapped miners continue as emergency crews work against time in the remote area.
Despite Afghanistan’s wealth of mineral resources, including coal, gold, and rare earth metals, the country’s mining sector has failed to progress to international standards, leaving workers vulnerable to frequent and often fatal accidents.
Last year, at least 30 people died when a gold mine collapsed in Badakhshan province, highlighting the persistent dangers in Afghanistan’s unregulated mining industry.
