Trending 
Four men have died of gas asphyxiation while working in a coal mine in northeastern Afghanistan, the information department of Baghlan province said on Sunday.
The incident occurred at a mine in Tala Wa Barfak that failed to meet required safety standards, according to the department’s head, Sayed Mustafa Hashimi.
The men “were extracting coal when an accident unfortunately took place. They suffocated due to gas and died”, he said.
Afghanistan’s mining sector is poorly regulated, with fatal accidents frequently reported at mining sites.
The country extracts several resources, including coal, marble, minerals, gold and precious stones.
The latest incident follows a coal mine collapse in Baghlan in July last year that killed six miners and left 18 others injured.
