An explosion at a mine in Afghanistan’s northeastern Nuristan province killed eight people on Wednesday, the Taliban’s provincial police command said in a statement.
The blast took place in the Mawi mine in Do Aab district while workers were preparing explosives inside a tunnel, the statement said. Several others were injured and taken to local health facilities. The exact number of wounded and their conditions were not immediately clear.
The incident came just a week after a similar explosion at the Karkar mine in Baghlan province left six people dead.
Many of Afghanistan’s mines operate with little to no safety oversight. Workers often use rudimentary tools, receive minimal training, and are paid low wages, leaving them exposed to frequent and deadly accidents.
While the Taliban have promoted the expansion of mineral extraction as part of their economic agenda, rights groups and labor advocates warn that unsafe conditions and a lack of regulatory oversight continue to put miners’ lives at risk.
