The death toll from the coal mine collapse in Balochistan’s Sorange area has risen to 34 after rescue teams recovered six more bodies from the site, while efforts continue to locate the remaining miners believed to be trapped underground, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) confirmed on Friday.
According to PDMA officials, search and rescue operations are still underway as emergency teams work to reach the miners trapped inside the collapsed mine.
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti ordered a detailed inquiry into the incident and warned that strict action would be taken if negligence or safety violations were found. He also directed authorities to ensure the strict enforcement of mine safety regulations across the province.
Expressing grief over the tragedy, JUI-N spokesperson Abdul Sattar Chishti said thousands of miners had lost their lives in similar accidents over the years and urged the government to implement effective safety measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
Mine owner Qurban Jogezai said the collapse was caused by a methane gas explosion. He stated that 42 labourers were working inside the mine when the accident occurred and confirmed that all those trapped were residents of Shangla district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
In a separate incident on the same day, another coal mine worker was killed in Balochistan’s Harnai district after a large boulder fell on him while he was working inside the mine, police said. Rescue teams recovered the body and shifted it to a nearby hospital to complete legal formalities.
Coal mine accidents remain a recurring problem in Balochistan and Sindh due to inadequate safety standards and poor working conditions.
Earlier this month, four labourers were killed and five others seriously injured after a wall collapsed inside the Ibrahim Coal Mines near Meting railway station in Thatta district, Sindh. The victims were identified as Ziaullah (40), Noor Mohammad (51), Irfanullah (20), all from Swat, and Saindad (41) from Sanghar district.
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