Quetta: At least 32 miners were killed in an explosion inside a coal mine in the Balochistan province in Pakistan. Rescuers are trying to bring out those still trapped inside, but time is running out fast.
The deadly blast occurred on at a coal mine in Sorange, a remote area, about 50 km from the provincial capital Quetta, Al Jazeera reported. It was likely caused by a buildup of methane gas.
“We have recovered 29 bodies so far. Our rescuers have located three more bodies inside the mine and are trying to recover them,” an official of the Provincial Disaster Management Authority said early on Friday.
Rescuers from the authority and other emergency responders continue to search for the remaining trapped miners, more than 12 hours after the incident, but that chances of finding any survivors were very low.
The chief inspector of mines in the province, Muhammad Atif, had earlier said that there were 36 miners inside at the time of the explosion.
Abdul Ghani Baloch, another senior government mining official in the region, said two mines close to each other were damaged in the powerful explosion.
Such accidents are common in Pakistan’s coal mining industry, particularly in Balochistan, where many mines lack adequate ventilation, gas monitoring systems and other basic safety measures.
Mine owners have long been accused by miners and labour groups of failing to enforce safety regulations or provide adequate protective equipment.
Thousands of miners depend on the coal industry for their livelihoods in Balochistan despite the risks and low wages.
The province – the largest in the country – is mineral rich, but least developed. Widespread unemployment and poverty are reasons behind the ongoing uprisings by several groups calling for independence.