Atleast 32 Killed, 10 Trapped in Baluchistan Explosion as Union Blames Negligence

A methane gas explosion inside a coal mine on the outskirts of Quetta, Baluchistan, killed at least 32 miners on Thursday. The blast left 10 other workers stuck below ground facing life-threatening conditions, AP reported.

Emergency responders initially recovered seven bodies from the site. Rescue teams and the provincial disaster management agency later retrieved 25 more victims, officials stated.

Search and rescue operations are ongoing to find and extract the workers still stuck underground. Government mine inspector Ghani Baloch warned that the death toll will likely rise.

Grim Outlook For Survivors

Baloch detailed the severe challenges facing the rescue teams. He said, "The chances of finding anyone alive diminish after methane gas explosions because oxygen levels drop to zero, and rescuers are also proceeding cautiously inside the mine."

Baluchistan's Minister for Mines and Minerals Shoaib Nosherwani announced a financial relief package for the victims. The provincial government will pay compensation of 500,000 Pakistani rupees (about $1,800) to the family of each deceased miner.

Nosherwani promised to thoroughly investigate the cause of the explosion. He added that authorities will comprehensively review regional mining safety measures.

Union Demands Safety Accountability

Labour groups suspect negligence triggered the disaster. The Pakistan Central Mines Labour Federation urged the government to strictly enforce safety regulations and take tough action against firms violating safety norms.

Frequent deadly accidents plague coal mines across Baluchistan, AP reported. These facilities routinely lack proper ventilation, gas monitoring systems and basic safety measures.

Baluchistan is Pakistan's largest but least developed province. Poverty and widespread unemployment force locals to work in these high-risk, low-wage mines to sustain their livelihoods.