Six Afghan workers have been killed in a coal mine explosion in Tajikistan’s Sughd region, according to local sources cited by Tasnim News Agency. The blast occurred in the Ayni district, where all six victims were reportedly working underground at the time. Rescue operations are still underway, and the bodies have yet to be recovered.
Sources say five of the deceased were from Afghanistan’s Daikundi province and one from Lal wa Sarjangal district in Ghor province. Tajik authorities have not yet released the official identities of the victims.
Earlier this year, a similar incident occurred in another Sughd coal mine, where eight Afghan miners, also from Daikundi, lost their lives, according to Etilaatroz. Local residents and mine workers report that such tragedies are becoming increasingly frequent due to unsafe working conditions, lack of protective equipment, and minimal regulatory oversight.
Hundreds of Afghan nationals work in Tajikistan’s coal mines, often in hazardous and unregulated conditions. “We are not allowed to complain or talk to the media. If we do, we risk being fined or deported,” one Afghan worker told a local news outlet. Many report being employed without formal contracts, with employers failing to provide adequate workplace safety measures.
Experts note that widespread unemployment and economic hardship in Afghanistan have driven many young men to seek employment abroad, particularly in Central Asia. Jobs in mining, construction, and seasonal agriculture remain common, but often come without legal protections or health insurance.
Local observers estimate that more than 14 Afghan workers died in coal mine accidents in Tajikistan in 2024 alone.
This latest incident comes just days after northern Afghanistan was struck by a 6.3-magnitude earthquake that killed at least 27 people and injured nearly 1,000 others.
