12 workers were trapped in a coal mine after it collapsed in southwestern Pakistan

Officials said today that a methane gas explosion caused the collapse of a coal mine in a remote area in southwestern Pakistan, trapping at least 12 miners, while authorities began an operation to rescue the miners.

Mines Inspector Abdul Ghani, who used one name, said that the explosion occurred yesterday evening, Thursday, in the town of Singidi in Balochistan province. He added that rescuers had been carefully removing debris from the mine for hours as part of the rescue efforts. He added that no miners have been rescued yet.

Shahid Rind, a spokesman for the Balochistan government, said that all available resources are being used to save the lives of the miners. He said in a statement that orders were also issued to conduct an investigation to determine the cause of the mine collapse.

It is noteworthy that safety standards are often ignored in the coal mining industry in Pakistan, leading to accidents and explosions, which have killed a large number of miners in recent years.

Yesterday, Thursday, Pakistani security forces rescued at least eight of 16 miners who were kidnapped by local militants.