Explosion in Quetta Coal Mine, 15 Bodies Recovered and Rescue Operation Underway to Retrieve Dozens

Quetta (Syed Sardar Mohammad Khondai)

15 bodies have been recovered from among the miners trapped due to an accident in a coal mine in the Sorenj area of Quetta district, Balochistan.
Officials and labor leaders say the accident in the mine occurred due to a powerful explosion, which left more than 30 miners trapped inside.
Labor leaders say that due to the severity of the explosion, a large portion of the mine has caved in. Balochistan Minister for Mines, Mir Shoaib Nosherwani, said that a rescue operation was started immediately after the coal mine collapse.
‘The incident in the mine was very severe’
Government officials said the accident took place in a coal mine in the Sorenj area of Quetta district. According to PDMA Balochistan, as soon as the information was received, its teams were dispatched to the site, including four ambulances.
A senior government official said he had spoken to the owners of the mine, who said that more than 37 miners were present in the mine.
The official did not rule out the possibility of a rise in the death toll due to the intensity of the blast and the lack of modern rescue facilities.
In a statement regarding the incident, Balochistan Minister for Minerals Mir Shoaib Nosherwani said that on the instructions of Chief Minister Balochistan Mir Sarfraz Bugti, the Chief Inspector of Mines and PDMA officials have reached the spot.
He said that the relevant departments are jointly engaged in relief operations.
He said that the process of setting up exhausts and removing debris to access the workers trapped in the mine is underway at a fast pace.
He said that the Government of Balochistan is continuously monitoring the rescue operation and all available resources are being utilized.
Sorenj is located about 40 kilometers east of Quetta, the capital of Balochistan. It is a hilly area where a large number of coal mines are located.
Accidents in coal mines have occurred in Sorenj and its surrounding areas in the past as well.
Due to the absence of other modern industries, coal mining is a major industry in Balochistan. Coal mines are mostly located in the districts of Quetta, Kachhi, Harnai and Duki, from which thousands of miners directly and indirectly consider it a source of livelihood.