Three Killed in Kohat Illegal Gold Mining CollapsePakistan

Police said rescue teams recovered the bodies from the debris and shifted them to a local hospital.

The incident is the latest in a series of fatal accidents linked to unlawful gold extraction in Kohat. A similar incident occurred in the same tehsil in January, when eight people lost their lives after a mound collapsed during gold extraction, according to the report.

Illegal gold mining has been reported along the banks of the Indus River in various parts of Kohat, where large numbers of labourers and heavy machinery have been used to extract gold without authorisation.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi said at a press conference on Saturday that around 90 kilograms of gold had been extracted from the area every month, causing heavy losses to the national exchequer.

The governor said the illegal activity had continued despite a ban, and announced the cancellation of all gold mining lease agreements in the province, declaring that no one would be allowed to conduct gold mining from then onwards.

He directed contractors to halt illegal mining activities and remove their heavy machinery within a week, warning that failure to comply would result in the confiscation of the equipment.

Governor Kundi also said police came under attack during an operation against illegal gold mining in Kohat on Wednesday, leaving 10 police personnel, including a deputy superintendent of police, martyred.

According to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police, the attack targeted a police party returning after completing an operation against illegal gold mining. Police subsequently launched a retaliatory action, killing 18 alleged attackers.

The district administration had already imposed Section 144 in Kohat to prevent gold extraction, and police say operations against those involved in the illegal activity are continuing.