Originally published on September 15, 2013
At least 27 miners were killed in a collapse in a coal mine in Afghanistan's northern province of Samangan on Saturday evening (September 15). It is believed at least 13 other miners could still be trapped in the mine.
The miners were reportedly working in an underground coal mine in Abkhorak coal mine in Ruyi Du Ab district when part of the mine collapsed on them.
According to Reuters, "rescue teams have recovered 27 dead miners and there are 22 more wounded," Azizi said. District police chief Akram Behzad said all trapped miners had been rescued.
"Afghanistan is estimated to be sitting on as much as $1 trillion in untapped mineral resources but decades of war and instability have kept most investors away.
"The government says it expects to make as much as $4 billion a year in mining revenues in the decade from 2014, when most Western forces are due to leave, compared with less than $150 million from its resources sector last year.
"The U.S. Pentagon said in a in 2010 briefing paper Afghanistan's main resources were iron ore, with an estimated value of nearly $421 billion, and copper deposits valued at $273 billion.
"But insecurity has hampered investment. Lat year, work was halted at China Metallurgical Group's $3 billion Aynak copper mine in the eastern province of Logar following attacks.
"Safety standards are also often lax in Afghanistan, with some mines employing children as young as 10 despite government regulations forbidding child labor, the government has said."
The collapse is the latest accident to hit Afghanistan's mining industry. It was reported that 11 miners were killed in a similar incident in the northern province of Baghlan last December.
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