QUETTA: At least 11 coalminers suffocated to death in a build-up of methane gas in a mine outside in Balochistan’s Sanjdi area, Chief Mine Inspector Abdul Ghani said on Monday.
The miners died in the Sanjdi coalfield, about 60km (40 miles) from Quetta, according to the chief inspector of mines
"Methane gas accumulated which caused the deaths," he said.
The miners were working about 1,500 feet (450 metres) underground and rescue teams retrieved their bodies after hours of work, he added.
The chief inspector said an inquiry has been ordered to work out the cause of the incident, and to see whether there was any negligence.
He said the colliers hailed from Swat Valley in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and added that the bodies were being dispatched to their respective native areas.
The affected coal mine has been sealed, he added.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi expressed sorrow over the death of 11 miners and offered his condolences to the families of the deceased.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of precious human lives in the tragic incident,” an official quoted the interior minister as saying.
In March this year, 12 miners were killed and eight rescued after an explosion rocked the private coal pit in the mining region of Khost, 80 kilometres (50 miles) east of Quetta, trapping 10 people about 800 feet (244 metres) below ground.
The province's chief inspector of mines had said that 20 miners had been inside the mine when a methane gas explosion took place overnight.
Coal deposits are found in the western areas of Pakistan that sit near the Afghan border and mine accidents are common, mainly due to gas build-ups.
Mine workers have complained that a lack of safety gear and poor working conditions are the key causes of frequent accidents, labour union officials have said in the past.
— With additional input from Reuters