Methane explosion kills six miners and leaves dozens trapped near Quetta
A methane blast in a coal mine on Quetta's outskirts killed at least six workers and trapped 42 others underground.
An underground coal mine near Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province, experienced a methane-fueled blast on Thursday, killing six miners and entrapping 42 more. Government mine inspector Ghani Baloch confirmed the fatalities and said the gas accumulation likely triggered the explosion. Rescue crews, supported by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority and other emergency responders, have already retrieved the six bodies and are pressing onward to locate the trapped workers.
Baloch did not disclose the depth of the mine, but pledged that the search will persist until every miner is accounted for. The tragedy underscores the chronic safety deficits in the region's mining industry, where inadequate ventilation and monitoring are common. Thousands of laborers in Baluchistan depend on coal mining despite low wages and high occupational risks.
Why it matters
The disaster exposes dangerous mining conditions that affect thousands of workers in Pakistan's poorest province.
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