QUETTA: The bodies of at least 4 miners have been recovered during a rescue operation while eight are still trapped in a collapsed coal mine in the Sanjidi area near Quetta.
According to the Deputy Director of Rescue Asghar Ali Jamali, four bodies out of 12 have been retrieved while rescue efforts are ongoing to save others.
The rescuers have removed the debris up to 3,600 feet by using heavy machinery to clear the path and rescue the remaining miners. Power cables, which were cut inside the mine, were being re-laid to access trapped miners by trolley.
The Chief Mines Inspector said that the mine passage was completely blocked due to the explosion, which had been partially restored after several hours of efforts.
A day earlier, the miners were trapped after a coal mine, located approximately 40 kilometers from Quetta, collapsed due to an explosion caused by the accumulation of methane gas.
Officials said the miners are trapped under a depth of around 4,000 feet.
The provincial minister for Mineral Resources and Finance, Mir Shoaib Nosherwani, took notice of the incident and instructed the chief inspector of mines to send additional rescue teams to the accident site.
He also ordered an investigation into the alleged violation of standard operating procedures by the mine owner.
