At least 34 workers died after a methane gas explosion struck a coal mine in southern Pakistan, the provincial disaster management authority said on Friday. Rescue teams continued efforts to locate other miners who may remain trapped underground.
The blast occurred on Thursday near the capital of Balochistan, a resource-rich province. The explosion sparked an overnight rescue operation as teams worked to reach those affected.
"According to information received from the deployed teams, 34 dead bodies have been recovered," southern Balochistan's provincial disaster management authority said in a statement in the early hours of Friday.
"The joint rescue operation is still underway to locate and recover the remaining trapped miners," it added. The authority did not reveal how many workers were inside when the incident occurred.
The blast also caused severe damage to another mine close to the main site, where 12 workers were present at the time.
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Mining engineers and workers opened alternative routes to reach the affected areas. However, high levels of methane gas and flames created serious obstacles, making it difficult to access the bodies and workers trapped deep below the surface.
Mining accidents frequently occur in Pakistan, particularly in Balochistan. The country's poorest province and largest by land area lags behind other regions in several areas, including education, employment and economic development.
The latest tragedy follows other mining-related accidents in the province. In June, three people suffered injuries when explosive material used for mining accidentally detonated in the Khanuzai area of Quetta division.
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Three coal miners also died in a separate accident in Bolan in April.

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