Balochistan mine blast kills 34 as methane explosion traps more workers

At least 34 miners were killed and more than a dozen others remained trapped after a methane gas explosion in a coalfield in Pakistan's Balochistan province, authorities said on Friday. Rescue teams had recovered 34 bodies and brought out 22 workers alive till Friday morning.

The explosion took place on Thursday during a shift change at the Sorange coalfield near Quetta. The blast hit one coal mine and also damaged a neighbouring mine, trapping more than 50 workers about 4,000 feet underground.

Miners were caught in the explosion and the fire that followed. The blast also caused structural collapses, killing several workers on the spot and leaving others trapped under burning debris. According to Chief Inspector of Mines Muhammad Atif, 22 workers were initially trapped in the mine where the explosion took place, while the remaining workers were trapped in the neighbouring mine.