Quetta, July 31 (V7N)- At least 32 workers have been killed in a powerful explosion at the Soranj coal mine near Quetta in Pakistan’s Balochistan province. Rescue teams are continuing efforts to find two workers still trapped inside the mine, The Dawn reported.
The explosion occurred on Thursday (July 30) at a private coal mine located about 30 kilometers northeast of Quetta. According to officials, a methane gas explosion triggered a fire inside the mine, causing part of the structure to collapse. The blast also affected a nearby coal mine.
Balochistan Chief Mines Inspector Mohammad Atif said 34 workers were present in the two mines at the time of the incident. So far, rescuers have recovered 32 bodies, while efforts are ongoing to locate the remaining two workers.
Earlier reports said that 24 workers were working at a depth of around 4,000 feet in the main mine when the explosion occurred on Thursday afternoon. Shortly after the blast, a fire spread inside the mine and parts of the structure collapsed.
The adjacent mine was also badly damaged, where 12 workers were reportedly working at the time. Rescue workers and mining engineers attempted to reach the trapped workers through an alternative route, but high levels of methane gas and intense fire made the operation extremely difficult.
Balochistan Mines and Mineral Resources Minister Mir Shoaib Nowsherwani announced financial assistance of 500,000 Pakistani rupees for the families of each deceased worker. Injured workers will receive 300,000 Pakistani rupees. He also ordered an investigation into the cause of the explosion.
Earlier this year, a mining-related explosion in Khanujai area of Quetta division injured three people in June, while three workers were killed in a coal mine accident in Bolan district in April.
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