Four miners killed, five injured in Harnai coal mine gas explosion

QUETTA: At least four coal miners were killed and five others injured after a gas explosion at a Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation (PMDC) mine in the Shahrag area of Harnai district in Balochistan, officials and local authorities said on Sunday.

The operation at PMDC Coal Mine No 151 has been completed, with rescuers recovering the bodies of the four miners and bringing five injured workers out of the mine, according to rescue and police officials.

Chief Inspector of Mines Muhammad Atif Ali said the bodies of all four miners trapped inside the mine had been recovered.

He said a total of eight miners had initially been reported trapped in the mine and four of them were rescued in an injured condition. However, subsequent reports put the number of affected workers at nine, with five injured and four killed.

The injured miners were shifted to Quetta for further medical treatment, according to local authorities.

Initial reports said the accident occurred after gas accumulated inside the underground mine, triggering an explosion.

Methane and other hazardous gases are a recurring danger in underground coal mines, particularly where ventilation and safety systems are inadequate. A local report said the initial investigation pointed to a buildup of methane gas before the blast.

Rescue teams, supported by security personnel and the local administration, took part in the operation to reach the trapped workers.

All the workers in the affected section were eventually brought out of the mine, with the injured taken for medical treatment and the bodies handed over to their families for burial arrangements.

Muhammad Atif said an investigation into the accident had been ordered to determine the circumstances that led to the gas buildup and explosion.

The latest incident is another reminder of the persistent safety risks faced by coal miners in Balochistan.

The province has witnessed a series of fatal mine accidents in recent years involving gas explosions, collapses and other hazards.

In March 2024, 12 miners were killed in a coal mine explosion in Harnai after a rescue operation lasting several days.

Coal mining accidents have also occurred repeatedly in the wider Harnai and Quetta coalfields, with methane gas accumulation among the major causes of deadly incidents.

A 2025 industry report recorded a mine collapse in Harnai in January that killed two miners and trapped six others, who were subsequently rescued.

The latest accident has again raised questions over mine safety, ventilation and enforcement of safety standards in Balochistan’s coalfields.