A 43-year-old Chinese worker named Chang Xiaojun died while working underground at the Barapukuria Coal Mine in Dinajpur early Tuesday morning.
According to mine officials, Chang was working in the ventilation department at 'Phase 1405' of the mine. When his shift ended, he failed to return to the surface with his teammates, prompting colleagues to alert the control room. A rescue team subsequently located him unconscious in an underground passage. He was rushed to Rangpur Medical College Hospital where attending physicians declared him dead.
While mine authorities have not yet confirmed the exact cause of death, fellow workers have raised concerns that an underground oxygen deficiency may have contributed to the tragedy.
Khan Md. Zafar Sadiq, General Manager of the Barapukuria Mine Operations Department confirmed the incident. Parbatipur Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Abdul Wadud stated that an unnatural death (UD) case has been filed, and the deceased's body will be handed over to Chinese authorities following an autopsy. The operating Chinese consortium will take further steps per internal protocols.
