12 workers trapped in coal mine in Pakistan after gas explosion

ISTANBUL

An explosion due to methane gas caused a coal mine in Pakistan to collapse Thursday, trapping 12 miners, said officials.

Rescue operations are underway in the Sanjdi area, around 40 kilometers (25 miles) southeast of Quetta, the capital and largest city of Balochistan province, with Chief Mines Officer Abdul Ghani Baloch saying that efforts are focused on bringing the miners out alive, the Dawn newspaper reported.

Balochistan government spokesman Shahid Rind said rescue teams are onsite and additional teams have been deployed.

Balochistan's Minister of Mines and Finance, Mir Shoaib Nosherwani, ordered an investigation into possible safety violations, warning of legal action against the mine’s owner if protocols were breached.

Mining accidents are common in Pakistan, often linked to unsafe conditions and poor enforcement of safety standards.