Three Dead, 30 Trapped After Balochistan Coal Mine Collapse

QUETTA: At least three coal miners were killed and 30 people, including three rescuers, remained trapped after an explosion caused a privately operated mine to collapse in Balochistan’s Sorange coalfield on Thursday. Emergency teams launched a large-scale operation at the site, located around 16 kilometres from Quetta, as officials warned that limited oxygen underground could endanger those still missing.

The collapse occurred at approximately 4pm while about 30 miners were working nearly 4,500 feet below the surface. Rescue personnel began removing debris from the blocked passage leading into the mine, but the depth of the workers and the scale of the cave-in made access extremely difficult.

Muhammad Asif, chief mine inspector at Balochistan’s mining department, confirmed that three bodies had been recovered. He said 27 miners and three rescuers were still trapped and cautioned that the number of fatalities could rise because oxygen levels inside the collapsed mine were believed to be dangerously low.

Officials had not immediately established the precise cause of the explosion, although methane accumulation is a recurring hazard in coal mines across the province. Asif said rescuing the trapped workers remained the immediate priority and that investigators would examine the cause once the relief operation had concluded.

Umer Hayat, general secretary of the National Labor Federation, described the situation as extremely serious because the mine had caved in completely. He said the blocked route would require hours of work to clear and expressed concern that the chances of finding survivors could diminish as the operation continued.

Balochistan Mines and Minerals Minister Shoaib Nosherwani said teams from the provincial mining department and the Provincial Disaster Management Authority had reached the area. He said all available resources were being used to remove the rubble and establish a route to the workers stranded deep underground.

Coal mining accidents occur repeatedly in mineral-rich Balochistan, where labour representatives have long raised concerns about weak enforcement of safety rules, inadequate ventilation and insufficient emergency equipment. Many mines are privately run, while difficult terrain and deep underground shafts can delay rescue work after explosions or structural failures.

The Sorange disaster follows several deadly incidents in the province. A methane explosion killed 12 miners in Harnai in March 2024, while another accident in Sanjdi claimed 11 lives in June of that year. In January 2025, 12 workers died after a six-day rescue operation at a mine near Quetta.

The latest collapse is expected to renew demands for stricter inspections, improved ventilation systems and stronger accountability for mine operators. Labour groups have repeatedly argued that avoidable deaths will continue unless provincial authorities ensure that safety procedures are implemented before workers enter hazardous underground sites.

Rescuers were expected to continue working through the night to reach the trapped miners and colleagues who entered the shaft to assist them. Authorities will conduct a formal investigation after the operation, while the immediate outcome depends on how quickly teams can clear the collapsed passage and restore access to the affected section of the mine.