Rescue teams in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province are continuing operations to recover miners trapped after a coal mine collapsed in the Sorinj area near Quetta. The Balochistan Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said the incident occurred following an explosion inside a coal mine located around 40 kilometres east of Quetta. It said at least 36 miners were inside the mine when the blast occurred. Authorities said the bodies of 34 miners have been recovered so far, while rescue efforts are continuing to locate any remaining workers. Pir Mohammad Kakar, a representative of the miners’ union, told the BBC that preliminary information suggested the explosion was caused by the build-up of methane gas inside the mine. However, local officials have not yet officially confirmed the cause of the blast. Mining union representatives said the explosion was severe and caused a major section of the mine to collapse. Balochistan’s Mines Minister Mir Shoaib Nosherwani said rescue operations began immediately after the incident.
