Ten bodies recovered from collapsed coal mine in Balochistan

QUETTA: Ten bodies have been pulled from a collapsed mine in Harnai area of Balochistan, rescuers said Wednesday, with two more people still trapped.

A gas explosion rocked the private coal pit in the mining region of Harnai, early Wednesday morning, trapping 12 miners about 800 feet below ground.

 “Ten bodies have been pulled out from the collapsed mine”, chief inspector of mines for Balochistan province said.

“We fear the remaining two workers may not be alive, however, our rescue team members are trying their best to recover them”, he said.

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A group of eight who attempted to rescue their colleagues also became trapped for several hours but were later brought to safety by a government rescue team, some of them unconscious.

Rescue teams from the government’s mining department as well as the disaster management agency are at the site.

“The cause of the incident was an accumulation of carbon monoxide gas followed by an explosion. As a result, the mine caved in,” Baloch said.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has expressed his regret and sorrow over the incident.

He directed the rescue workers to mobilize all resources for the safe recovery of the trapped miners.

He said government would provide all possible relief to the victims’ families.