Ali Hamza:
Sorange Quetta: Twenty-eight of the 32 coal miners killed in the methane gas explosion at the Sorange coalfield near Quetta belonged to the Shangla district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to sources in the Mines and Minerals Department.
Officials said all 28 victims were young men between the ages of 18 and 25. They came from the same village in Shangla and belonged to low-income families who relied on coal mining for their livelihoods. The miners were working nearly 4,000 feet underground when the methane gas explosion ripped through the mine, leaving them trapped with little chance of survival.
The deadly incident occurred on Thursday at a privately operated coal mine in the Sorange coalfield, about 30 kilometres northeast of Quetta. The methane gas explosion triggered a fire inside the mine, causing parts of the underground tunnels to collapse and also affecting a nearby coal mine.
Chief Inspector of Mines Balochistan Muhammad Atif said a total of 34 miners were inside the two mines when the explosion occurred. Rescue teams have recovered 32 bodies so far, while efforts continue to locate and retrieve the remaining two trapped miners.
Authorities said the rescue operation has been hampered by high concentrations of methane gas, underground fire, and unstable tunnel structures. Rescue workers and mining engineers have been forced to create alternative access routes to reach the affected sections of the mine.
Balochistan Minister for Mines and Minerals Mir Shoaib Nosherwani announced compensation of Rs500,000 for the family of each deceased miner and Rs300,000 for every injured worker. He also ordered a formal inquiry into the incident to determine its cause and examine whether safety regulations were violated.
The tragedy has cast a shadow over the families of the victims in Shangla, where entire households depend on young men travelling to Balochistan for hazardous mining jobs due to limited employment opportunities.
Coal mining remains one of Pakistan’s deadliest occupations, particularly in Balochistan, where methane gas explosions, tunnel collapses, and inadequate safety measures continue to claim lives. Earlier this year, three miners were killed in a coal mine accident in Bolan, while another explosion at a mine in Khanuzai injured three workers.
