Pak Army rescues trapped miners in Swat emerald mine

SWAT: Pakistan army, in a joint operation with Rescue 1122, on Thursday morning rescued the four miners who were trapped in an emerald mine in Babuzai, Swat.

Officials from the Mines Department told Hum News English that the collapse occurred around 8pm on Wednesday in a licensed mining area in Malookabad, Mingora.

The incident occurred when workers were inside the underground mine, extracting emeralds, and a section of the mine’s roof suddenly caved in, burying four miners under the rubble.

Rescue teams from the Pakistan Army reached the site quickly and launched an operation to recover the labourers from under the debris. After hours of effort, all four were safely pulled out.

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According to Rescue 1122 sources, the workers were trapped nearly 880 feet below the surface. The joint rescue operation continued for six hours and was successfully completed at 2:45 AM on August 7.

A total of 60 trained personnel took part in the operation, which involved seven ambulances and three specialised disaster response vehicles equipped with advanced tools.

Using extreme caution and skill, the rescue teams were able to safely retrieve all four miners Saeed Ahmad Khan (32), Sadiq (32), Taj Khan (37), and Saeed Ali Shah (23) who belong to the Shangla district. The rescued workers were given immediate medical assistance on-site.

Rafiullah Marwat, District Emergency Officer of Rescue 1122 Swat, stated that the teams launched the rescue operation promptly after the incident and managed to safely evacuate all trapped workers within six hours, despite the depth and risks involved.