At least 34 miners have lost their lives after a powerful Quetta coal mine blast buried parts of a mining complex in Balochistan’s Sorange area near Quetta. Rescue teams remain at the site as efforts continue to locate and recover two miners who are still trapped underground, according to provincial authorities.
Muhammad Fahad, Director of Operations at the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), said rescue workers are continuing the operation despite difficult conditions. Earlier, Balochistan Minister for Mines and Mineral Development Shoaib Nosherwani said 36 miners were inside the collapsed section of the mining complex when the explosion occurred.
Officials said the rescue operation is being carried out nearly 4,000 feet below the surface. Chief Inspector of Mines Muhammad Atif stated that emergency teams are working in challenging conditions, while senior mining official Abdul Ghani Baloch confirmed that two adjacent coal mines were damaged in a powerful methane gas explosion.
The Quetta coal mine blast occurred in Sorange, a remote mining area on the outskirts of the provincial capital. Methane gas explosions remain one of the most dangerous hazards in underground coal mining and have caused several fatal accidents in the region over the years.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy and extended condolences to the families of the victims. Both leaders prayed for those who lost their lives and directed authorities to provide immediate assistance to affected workers and the injured.
President Zardari instructed officials to ensure rapid access to all trapped miners and provide the best available medical treatment to the injured. He also called for strict enforcement of mine safety regulations, stressing that protecting miners’ lives is a national responsibility.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed the PDMA and other relevant agencies to continue rescue efforts until every miner is accounted for. He also emphasized the need for permanent safety measures and improved working conditions to help prevent similar incidents in the future following the Quetta coal mine blast.
