Pakistan Coal Mine Explosion Kills 15, Dozens Feared Trapped Underground

Quetta: At least 15 coal miners were killed and more than two dozen others remain trapped after a methane gas explosion tore through a coal mine in the Sorange coalfield of Pakistan's Balochistan province, according to local media reports.

Officials said 24 miners were working nearly 4,000 feet below the surface in a privately operated coal mine when the blast occurred. The explosion triggered a fire, leading to the collapse of parts of the mine.

A nearby coal mine was also affected by the incident, leaving 12 more miners trapped. Chief Inspector of Mines Muhammad Atif said a total of 36 workers were inside the two mines at the time of the explosion.

Rescue teams from the Mines and Minerals Department and the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) launched an emergency operation to reach those trapped. According to reports, 21 miners were still missing as rescue efforts continued late Thursday.

Preliminary findings suggest the explosion was caused by a build-up of methane gas at a depth of around 4,000 feet. The blast sparked a fire and filled the mine with dangerous gases, making rescue operations more difficult.

The tragedy is the latest in a series of fatal mining accidents in Pakistan. In May, two miners lost their lives and another was injured in separate coal mine incidents in the Shangla district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

In one of those accidents, two workers were buried under debris at Mine No. 5 in the Akhorwal coal mines. Rescue teams, fellow miners and local residents managed to recover the trapped workers after an operation lasting nearly two-and-a-half hours.

In another incident in the Chaparmashti area, a miner died while working underground.

The recurring accidents have renewed concerns over poor safety standards in Pakistan's coal mining sector, with local residents and labour organisations urging the government to enforce stricter safety measures and improve working conditions for miners.

With inputs from IANS

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