Quetta, Sep 15:
Four coal miners were killed and five others injured after a methane gas explosion triggered a collapse at a coal mine in Shahrag in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, officials said.
The incident occurred at a mine operated by the Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation in Harnai district. Rescue teams recovered the bodies of the four workers and brought five injured miners out of the mine after an operation that lasted several hours.
Two of the injured workers suffered severe burns and were shifted to Quetta for specialised treatment. Doctors at Civil Hospital Quetta said two patients had suffered burns covering around 80% and 90% of their bodies, while two others with minor injuries were discharged after receiving initial treatment.
The deceased miners were from Swat district in northwestern Pakistan, according to officials. Their bodies were transported to their native villages for burial.
The provincial mining department has sought a formal inquiry into the mine collapse to determine the exact cause of the explosion. Mining accidents are a recurring concern in Balochistan, where hundreds of coal mines operate in mountainous areas.