At least 18 coal miners have been killed and 14 others remain trapped after a powerful methane gas explosion caused part of a mining complex to collapse in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province, officials said on Thursday.
The explosion struck two neighbouring coal mines in Sorange, a remote mining area near the provincial capital of Quetta. According to Muhammad Atif, Balochistan's Chief Inspector of Mines, 36 workers were inside the collapsed section of the complex when the blast occurred.
Rescue teams have been working around the clock at a depth of about 1,219 metres, but hopes of finding additional survivors are fading.
"We are hopeful to find some miners alive, but chances are low," Atif told Reuters.
Senior government mining official Abdul Ghani Baloch said the explosion was caused by a build-up of methane gas, which damaged both mines.
Authorities have yet to determine the full cause of the blast, and an investigation is expected once rescue operations are complete.
Mining accidents are common in Pakistan, particularly in Balochistan, where many coal mines operate under hazardous conditions and safety standards are often criticised as inadequate.
The latest incident is one of the deadliest mining accidents in the province this year and is expected to renew calls for stronger safety regulations and improved working conditions across Pakistan's coal sector.
Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan have moved to deepen their strategic partnership, with President Ilham Aliyev’s state visit focusing on political t...
Only four commodity vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, following 13 transits a day earlier, as disruptions continue to restrict traffi...
Qatar has pledged to bring professors from Qatar and other Islamic countries to Afghanistan and help equip a cancer treatment centre, as the two co...
Iran on Saturday denounced U.S. plans to announce new sanctions that could put further strain on the Islamic Republic's economy and have an impact on its most important trading partners including China.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday that Kyiv wants peace but will not surrender to Russia, as foreign leaders joined Independence Day events marking 35 years since Ukraine’s independence.
A newly created pro-government political party has secured a commanding victory in Kazakhstan's snap parliamentary election, according to exit polls, strengthening President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's influence at a pivotal moment in the country's political transition.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected calls for a wartime election, arguing that holding a vote while Russia's full-scale invasion continues would divide the country and undermine national unity.
Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan have elevated bilateral ties with a Treaty on Eternal Friendship signed by Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Tashkent on 23 August. The leaders also agreed to expand trade, investment, transport, and regional cooperation.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday that Kyiv wants peace but will not surrender to Russia, as foreign leaders joined Independence Day events marking 35 years since Ukraine’s independence.
Online fast-fashion retailer Shein is seeking to raise up to $1.77 billion in a Hong Kong IPO after its valuation fell around 70 per cent from its private-market peak four years ago.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 24th of August, covering the latest developments.
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said on Monday that his party will introduce a bill to ban children under 16 from using social media. The proposal would allow fines of up to 10 per cent of a platform’s global revenue for non-compliance.
Icelanders will vote on Saturday, 29 August, on whether to resume negotiations with the European Union, in a referendum that could reopen the country’s long-debated membership question.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment