A methane gas explosion on Thursday night caused a coal mine to collapse, trapping at least 12 miners in southwest Pakistan, according to officials. The incident occurred in Singidi, a town in Balochistan province.
Rescue operations are underway, with teams carefully removing debris.
Mines inspector Abdul Ghani said that rescuers have been diligently clearing debris from the mine for several hours as part of the ongoing rescue operation, according to a report by news agency PTI.
As of Friday, none of the miners had been rescued, according to Ghani.
Shahid Rind, a spokesperson for the Balochistan government, mentioned that every available resource is being utilized to save the lives of the trapped coal miners.
An investigation has been ordered to determine the cause of the collapse, said Rind.
Pakistan’s coal mining industry has a history of safety issues, leading to accidents and fatalities. In a separate incident on Thursday, security forces rescued eight of 16 mine workers kidnapped by militants.
