At least 34 miners have been killed in a methane gas explosion at two coal mines in Pakistan‍‍`s southwestern province of Balochistan. At least eight workers are still missing in the incident. Rescue operations are ongoing after the accident that occurred on Thursday.

The explosion at a coal mine located in the remote Soranj area near the capital of Balochistan, Quetta, caused a huge loss of life. The owner of the mine, Qurban Jogezai, said that the explosion was caused by methane gas accumulated inside the mine.

According to him, a total of 42 workers were working inside the mine at the time of the accident. All of them were residents of Shangla district of Pakistan‍‍`s northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Rescue teams from the Balochistan Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) reached the site immediately after the explosion and started rescue operations. A member of the rescue operation on Friday said that the operation will continue until all the missing are rescued.

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti has ordered a detailed investigation into the incident.

Meanwhile, on the same day, a worker was killed when a large stone shaft collapsed in another coal mine in Harnai district of Balochistan, police sources said.

Pakistan has numerous coal mines in Balochistan and Sindh provinces. However, accidents often occur in these mines due to lack of safety measures.

Earlier this July, four people were killed and five others were seriously injured in a coal mine collapse near the Meting railway station in Kohistan in Sindh‍‍`s Thatta district.

Source: Reuters