28 Killed by Explosion at Afghanistan’s Abkhorak

Mineweb reported that 28 miners were killed following a gas explosion at the Afghanistan-based Abkhorak coal mine. An additional 100 were injured.

As quoted in the market news:

Workplace safety standards are considered poor in Afghanistan and mine accidents are considered common. Javed Noorani of Integrity Watch Afghanistan told Al Jazeera that 90% of mining in the country is illegal. In December, 11 miners were killed in a mine collapse in the northern province of Baghlan.

Azizi told the news media that Abkhorak miners had been complaining about dangerous working conditions Saturday morning. Conditions in Afghan coal mines “can be dangerously primitive, with miners working with old equipment and little ventilation of safety gear,” AFP reported.

The mine’s supervisor apparently ignored the workers’ concerns and fled after the men were killed, the Washington Post reported.

Click here to read the full Mineweb report.