Bodies found after gas explosion causes coal mine to collapse in southwest Pakistan

A methane gas explosion at a coal mine in a remote area of southwestern Pakistan caused a mine collapse, resulting in the death of at least three miners. Officials stated on Friday that authorities have launched a rescue operation to search for another nine missing miners.

Mining inspector Abdul Ghani said the explosion occurred on Thursday evening in the Sinjidi town of Balochistan province. He noted that rescue workers have recovered the bodies of three victims and are carefully clearing debris from the mine to carry out rescue work.

Balochistan provincial government spokesman Shahid Rind said that all available resources have been deployed for the rescue operation. He also stated in a statement that an investigation has been ordered into the cause of the collapse. In recent years, the coal mining industry's low safety standards have led to frequent accidents and casualties.

Additionally, on Thursday, Pakistani security forces rescued eight of at least 16 miners who had been kidnapped by local militants. Authorities said that operations to rescue the remaining miners still held by militants are ongoing. In the northeastern Indian state of Assam, hopes are fading for the rescue of several people trapped in a flooded coal mine, with Friday marking the fifth day of search operations.

At least nine miners were trapped on Monday morning after a large amount of water flooded an abandoned mine in the Umrangso area of Dima Hasao district, about 200 kilometers (125 miles) south of the capital Guwahati. On Wednesday, army divers found the body of one miner. Local government minister Kaushik Rai said, "There has been no progress in the search and rescue operation after the army divers found the victim," because "the unfortunate mine is flooded and despite efforts to pump out water, the water level has not receded."