In what locals are calling a “miracle,” laborer Abdul Wahab was found alive on Thursday after spending 17 days trapped beneath a marble mine in Mardan.
The incident took place on March 31 when a large portion of a mountain suddenly collapsed in the Rustam area. At the time, 12 laborers were resting and having tea after cleaning their machinery, and all of them were buried under the debris.
Rescue teams later managed to recover nine bodies and pulled out two workers who were injured. Abdul Wahab was believed to have died as well, and his family even identified one of the recovered bodies as his and carried out his burial.
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On Thursday, everything changed when his voice was suddenly heard from under the rubble, leaving both his family and rescue workers in shock.
The breakthrough came while locals were using heavy machinery in search of the last missing worker. During the operation, Abdul Wahab called out from beneath the debris, saying he was still alive and needed help. The machines were immediately stopped, and workers began clearing the rubble by hand until they managed to pull him out safely.
He is now receiving treatment at Mardan Hospital. The identity of the person buried under his name is still unknown. The Deputy Commissioner has said that DNA tests will be conducted to confirm the identity of the deceased, as no other family has come forward claiming a missing relative so far.