ORAKZAI , Pakistan, March 13 (UPI) — A coal mine collapse in the Pakistani tribal region of Orakzai killed at least eight miners, and left four more missing and feared dead.
An unidentified Pakistani official said heavy rain caused the mine in the country’s northwest to collapse, ABC News reported.
Another official, Latifur Rehman, said heavy rains in other parts of the same northwest region led to the deaths of seven other people over two days, the result of collapsing roofs and walls.
Local administration official Dost Mohammad said the mine in the Orakzai tribal region collapsed Saturday and military rescuers managed to rescue 29 miners despite the continuing rain.
A total of 31 deaths and 47 injuries have been reported in the region as a result of the torrential rains, according to Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority. In all, 53 homes were reportedly damaged.
Heavy bands of rain were expected to continue across northern Pakistan and far northwestern India on Monday, causing a heightened risk of flash flooding and mud slides, Accuweather.com reported.
The areas hardest-hit areas were expected to be Lahore and Islamabad in Pakistan and Punjab, Himachal Pradesh in India, and the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region.
