At least 15 coal miners died after a methane gas explosion triggered a fire and structural collapse in the Sorange coalfield, located 30 kilometres northeast of Quetta. More than a dozen workers remain trapped underground as rescue teams attempt to navigate toxic gas and burning tunnels.
The blast took place in the afternoon at a private coal mine on Thursday where 24 miners were operating roughly 4,000 feet underground. The force of the explosion damaged a neighboring mine shaft, trapping an additional 12 workers inside the second site.
“A total of 36 coal miners were present inside both mines when the blast occurred,” Chief Inspector of Mines Muhammad Atif told a private media outlet.
Atif stated that crews from the Mines and Minerals Department and the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) initiated rescue operations upon arriving in Sorange. 21 miners remained missing late Thursday night as operations extended into the evening.
“We pray for the lives of the trapped miners, but the chances of survival appear bleak as the coal mines caught fire soon after the blast, blocking access to mine entrances,” Atif said.
The chief inspector stated that gas accumulation at the 4,000-foot level likely triggered the blast, which subsequently filled the shafts with toxic fumes. Methane build-up causes the majority of coal mine explosions across Balochistan.
Mining engineers and field workers dug alternative access paths into the shafts, but dense methane concentrations and active fires continue to block access to the lower chambers.
Provincial Minister for Mines and Minerals Mir Shoaib Nosherwani confirmed that rescue teams recovered 15 bodies from the site while continuing operations under hazardous conditions.
“We share the grief of the bereaved families and will leave no stone unturned in completing the rescue operation,” Nosherwani said.
The minister announced that the provincial government will pay Rs500,000 in compensation to the families of each deceased miner, alongside Rs300,000 for every injured worker.
