Islamabad: At least 11 miners were killed after an explosion triggered a collapse at a coal mine complex in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, while rescue teams continued efforts to locate dozens of workers believed to be trapped underground.
Balochistan Minister for Mines and Mineral Development Shoaib Nosherwani said 36 workers were inside the mine complex when the explosion occurred. By Thursday night, 25 miners remained missing, with search operations continuing.
The blast occurred in the remote Sorang area near the provincial capital Quetta, where two interconnected coal mines were damaged by what officials described as a powerful methane gas explosion.
Chief Mines Inspector Muhammad Atif said rescue teams were carrying out operations at a depth of around 4,000 feet (1,219 metres) below the surface.
“We are hopeful that some workers may still be found alive,” Atif said.
Senior government mining official Abdul Ghani Baloch also confirmed that the explosion was caused by a build-up of methane gas.
Authorities said rescue teams were continuing search operations to locate the missing miners.
