QUETTA, Pakistan — Rescuers in southwestern Pakistan have recovered the bodies of 11 coal miners who died after a methane gas explosion caused a mine to collapse last week, officials confirmed on Monday.
Search efforts are still underway for a 12th worker who is missing following the explosion in Singidi, a city in Balochistan Province, on Thursday. Abdul Ghani, a provincial mines inspector, provided the update.
In a separate incident on Sunday, two more miners were killed when another coal mine collapsed in Harnai, a district in Balochistan, according to Mr. Ghani.
Accidents in Pakistan’s coal mines are common, often due to the disregard for safety standards. Explosions and mine collapses frequently lead to fatalities, with miners voicing concerns over mine owners’ failure to implement proper safety measures.
Balochistan, rich in mineral resources, has faced numerous mining disasters. This has added to the region’s broader grievances, as it is also affected by separatist insurgencies.
In related news, last week, Pakistani security forces rescued eight of 16 miners who had been kidnapped by local militants in the northwest. The operation to free the remaining miners is still ongoing.
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