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.
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