KARACHI: At least six miners have been killed and 13 others were trapped after a methane gas explosion in a coal mine in southwestern Pakistan's Balochistan province, officials said today.
The explosion took place last evening in the mine situated in Sanjadi area, about 50 kilometres east of the provincial capital, Quetta.
Rescue workers have so far recovered the bodies of six miners while efforts are on to rescue those trapped inside the coal mine, the Balochistan Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said.
According to Deputy Commissioner Quetta, Capt (retd) Tahir Zafar Abbasi, at least 13 miners were still trapped after the underground methane gas explosion.
"According to our estimates, at least 13 miners are still trapped in a 4,000 feet deep pit inside the coal mine," Abbasi was quoted as saying by the Express Tribune.
Senior officials, including Balochistan's Chief Inspector of Mines, have also reached the accident site to monitor the rescue efforts, which has slowed down due to lack of electricity in the area, the report said.
"It's going to be difficult to get them (trapped miners) out as rescue work is being slowed down because there is no electricity in the area," a local engineer said.
Meanwhile, Balochistan's caretaker chief minister Alauddin Marri has expressed his sadness on the incident, and directed authorities to rescue the trapped miners.