QUETTA: A methane gas explosion ripped through a coal mine in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, killing at least 34 miners after triggering a fire and tunnel collapse, while rescue teams continued searching for any remaining victims.
“According to information received from the deployed teams, 34 dead bodies have been recovered,” Balochistan’s provincial disaster management authority said in a statement.
The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said rescue teams had recovered 34 bodies from the affected mines in the Sorange area, on the outskirts of Quetta.
Methane Gas Explosion
Officials said the explosion occurred at a private coal mine on Thursday afternoon when miners were working about 4,000 feet underground. The blast triggered a fire that caused sections of the mine to collapse and was heard across the Sorange area.
The death toll from the Pakistan coal mine blast has risen to 34 after rescuers recovered more bodies from the collapsed mine in Balochistan’s Sorange area.
Search operations are continuing as teams look for any remaining trapped miners. #Pakistan #Balochistan #CoalMine… pic.twitter.com/gIt4FS8tRE— Sajjad Tarakzai (@SajjadTarakzai) July 31, 2026
The explosion also affected a nearby coal mine, trapping additional workers.
Chief Inspector of Mines Muhammad Atif said 36 miners were inside the two mines when the blast occurred.
He said rescue teams from the Mines and Minerals Department and the PDMA were dispatched immediately after the incident.
Rescue Hampered by Fire and Toxic Gases
Rescue operations have been complicated by fire, collapsed tunnels and high concentrations of methane and other hazardous gases.
Atif said the explosion was believed to have been caused by an accumulation of methane gas, which ignited deep inside the mine.
Mining engineers and rescue workers attempted to create alternative access routes to reach trapped miners, but ongoing fires and dangerous gas levels slowed the operation.
“We pray for the lives of the trapped miners, but the chances of survival appear bleak as the coal mines caught fire soon after the blast, blocking access to the mine entrances,” Atif said.
Balochistan Minister for Mines and Minerals Mir Shoaib Nosherwani said all available resources had been mobilised for the rescue effort despite extremely difficult conditions.
He announced compensation of Rs 500,000 for the families of each deceased miner and Rs 300,000 for every injured worker.
The minister also said the provincial government would conduct an inquiry into the cause of the disaster.
