KOHAT: Three laborers have died following a soil collapse during illegal gold mining in the Gambat Tehsil of Kohat .
According to the Gambat police, the incident occurred this morning in the Darra Bokach area, where a mass of soil collapsed during attempts to extract gold, burying three laborers underneath.
The police stated that the bodies of the laborers trapped under the debris have been recovered and transported to a local hospital.
Previously, in January, eight people lost their lives in a similar soil collapse during gold extraction in the same Tehsil.
It should be noted that illegal gold mining takes place in various areas along the banks of the Indus River in Kohat.
In a press conference held yesterday, the Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remarked that “90 kilograms of gold were being extracted” from this region every month.
According to the Governor, police forces conducting an operation against illegal gold mining in Kohat on Wednesday came under attack; 10 police personnel, including a DSP, were martyred in the incident.
Regarding this event, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police stated that the attack targeted a police party returning from an operation against illegal gold mining.
In response, the police took action and killed 18 of the attackers. ·
Following the incident, Governor Faisal Karim Kundi announced the cancellation of all gold mining lease agreements in the province, declaring that, effective immediately, no one would be permitted to engage in gold mining within the province.
He warned the contractors to cease illegal mining operations and remove their heavy machinery within one week; otherwise, all such machinery would be confiscatedMeanwhile, according to a report aired on state television this morning, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police and the district administration conducted a large-scale operation against the illegal gold mining mafia in Nowshera and Kohat, during which all heavy machinery used for the illicit mining was set on fire.
It is also worth noting that, in a media briefing held yesterday, the Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa alleged that 12 politicians affiliated with various political parties were involved in illegal gold mining.
Expressing concern over the plundering of the province’s resources, he stated, “Compliance with mining regulations is mandatory.
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Oversight will be tightened to prevent the illicit transport of mineral resources, and legal cases will be registered against those conducting mining operations without a lease.”
