By Our Correspondent
QUETTA: The death toll from a devastating methane gas explosion at the Sorange coalfield near Quetta climbed to 32 on Friday after rescue workers recovered more bodies from two collapsed coal mines, while efforts continued to locate two miners still believed to be trapped underground.
According to mining authorities, a total of 34 workers were inside the adjacent private coal mines when the explosion ripped through the site on Thursday afternoon, approximately 30 kilometres northeast of Quetta.
The powerful blast ignited a fire deep inside the primary mine, causing extensive structural damage and triggering a collapse. The impact also destabilised a neighbouring mine, placing miners in both shafts in grave danger.
Chief Inspector of Mines Balochistan Muhammad Atif said rescue teams worked throughout the night under hazardous conditions to retrieve the victims.
“So far, 32 bodies have been recovered from both mines. Rescue teams are continuing operations to recover the remaining two miners from the mine where the explosion occurred,” he said.
Officials said the miners had been working nearly 4,000 feet below the surface when methane gas accumulated and exploded. The blast was reportedly heard across a large part of the Sorange coalfield.
Rescue operations have been complicated by persistent methane gas emissions, underground fires and collapsed tunnels, forcing engineers and emergency crews to carve out alternative access routes to reach the affected sections of the mines.
Provincial Minister for Mines and Minerals Mir Shoaib Nosherwani announced financial assistance for the victims’ families, saying the Balochistan government would provide Rs500,000 to the family of each deceased miner and Rs300,000 to every injured worker.
The minister also ordered a formal investigation to determine the cause of the explosion and examine whether safety regulations had been properly enforced.
The latest tragedy has once again drawn attention to Pakistan’s mining industry, where inadequate safety standards, poor ventilation and hazardous working conditions continue to claim lives. Coal mining accidents remain frequent in Balochistan, which produces a significant share of the country’s coal.
Earlier this year, three miners lost their lives in a mine accident in Bolan, while another three workers were injured in June after explosives used during mining operations accidentally detonated in the Khanuzai area of Quetta division. These recurring incidents have intensified calls for stricter enforcement of occupational safety measures across the mining sector.
