At least 11 killed after inhaling methane gas inside Balochistan coal mine

Quetta [Balochistan], June 04: At least 11 people lost their lives after inhaling methane gas inside a coal mine in the Sanjdi area, some 50 km from Quetta, according to Dawn.

The incident, which took place on Monday, claimed the lives of nine coal miners, a coal company manager, and a contractor.

"The coal miners were working around 1,500 feet deep in the mine when the gas eruption started and quickly spread to the place. All the coal miners fell unconscious," Abdul Ghani Shahwani, Chief Inspector of Mines in Balochistan, told Dawn.

He added that after entering the mine at approximately five o'clock in the evening with a contractor and manager, it was discovered that there was no signal coming from the mine after 1.5 hours.

The Mines Department's rescue crews, following no response, raced to the site of the incident.

No one was found alive when rescuers entered the mine, having first taken safety precautions and vented the gas.

"All the nine miners and two others were found dead deep inside the mine," the official said, adding that bodies were shifted to a nearby health facility, where they died, as per Dawn.

The chief inspector stated that the mine belonged to the United Coal Mining Company and that all the miners who lost their lives came from Swat.

An investigation into the incident is underway. The coal mine has been sealed as of now.