QUETTA – At least 11 coal miners were suffocated to death due to a build-up of methane gas in a mine near Quetta, a government official reported.
The incident occurred in the Sanjdi coalfield, approximately 60 km (40 miles) from Quetta, according to Abdul Ghani Kakar, the chief inspector of mines for the provincial Balochistan government. “Methane gas accumulated, causing the deaths,” Kakar stated.
The miners were working about 1,500 feet (450 meters) underground. Rescue teams retrieved their bodies after several hours of effort, he added.
An inquiry has been ordered to determine the cause of the incident and to investigate any potential negligence, the chief inspector said.
