12 killed after coal mine collapses in Pak
Islamabad, Jan 10: All 12 miners were feared dead after a coal mine collapsed due to a gas explosion in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, local media reported on Friday. Balochistan Chief Inspector of Mines Abdul Ghani Baloch told media that Thursday’s explosion was caused by methane gas that occurred when the miners were digging coal inside the mine in the Sanjidi area of Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan. As multiple teams comprising mining engineers and other rescue staff continue to remove the debris, Pakistan’s leading daily Dawn reported that bodies of four miners were recovered on Friday afternoon during the operation. According to the rescuers, the mine completely collapsed after the gas explosion, blocking all the ways to the mine and hampering rescue activities. The Express Tribune reported that all 12 colliers were feared dead in Balochistan. (IANS)
258 Pak citizens deported from seven countries
Karachi, Jan 10: In yet another major embarrassment for Pakistan, as many as 258 of its citizens were deported from seven countries, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and also ‘all-weather friend’ China in the last 24 hours, local media reported on Friday. According to Pakistani immigration officials, out of the 258 individuals who arrived at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport, 244 were deported on emergency travel documents and only 14 had valid Pakistani passports. While only 16 deportees were arrested for having a ‘suspicious identity’, the rest were released after mere questioning. Pakistan news channel Geo News reported that Saudi Arabia deported 232 people and UAE deported 21 people. (IANS)
Bird flu drives egg price in US to record high
New York, Jan 10: Egg prices have increased nationwide by around 38 per cent in the last year in the US, bringing the average cost of one dozen up to $3.65 in November versus $3.37 in October and $2.14 in November 2023, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index. “The $3.65 is just an average,” USA Today noted the hike on Thursday. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the wholesale price for a carton of large eggs on the New York market rose to $6.06 dollars per dozen, while the Midwest region saw prices around $5.75 and California as high as $8.97, as of January 3. In other cases, eggs simply are absent from shelves altogether, Xinhua news agency reported. (IANS)
Russian oil tanker drifting in Baltic Sea
Berlin, Jan 10: The German news agency is reporting that a Russia oil tanker is drifting in the Baltic Sea north of the German island of Rugen. Dpa reported Friday that the Eventin, believed to be carrying around 99,000 tons of oil from Russia, is en route to Egypt. The ship is believed to belong to the so-called Russian shadow fleet, which is made up of hundreds of aging tankers that are dodging sanctions in order to keep oil revenue flowing into the Russian state budget. (AP)