A methane gas explosion deep inside a coal mine in southwestern Pakistan killed at least 34 miners, triggered a collapse that trapped dozens of workers underground and renewed scrutiny of the country's poor mining safety record, officials said Friday.
The explosion occurred Thursday at a privately operated coal mine in the Sorange coalfield, about 19 miles (30 kilometers) west of Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province. Officials said methane gas ignited inside the mine, causing a powerful blast that sparked a fire, collapsed tunnels and filled parts of the mine with toxic gases.
Mine owner Qurban Jogezai told local broadcaster Geo News that 42 laborers were working underground when the explosion occurred. Provincial officials gave slightly different figures, saying about 40 miners were inside the affected sections of the mining complex.
Rescue crews spent nearly 20 hours removing debris before recovering the bodies of the victims. By Friday, authorities said at least 34 miners had been confirmed dead while teams continued searching for anyone still trapped beneath the rubble.
Mohamed Imran, a rescue department spokesman, said crews were using heavy machinery to dig deeper into the collapsed mine while working in dangerous conditions created by unstable tunnels, lingering methane gas and limited oxygen.
