By IANS,
Islamabad : The toll in a coal mine explosion in southwest Pakistan’s Balochistan province rose to 24 Monday, an official said.
At least 52 miners were present in the coal mine in Sorrange area, 40 km from provincial capital Quetta, when the blast took place Sunday. The mine is owned by the Pakistan Mineral Development Corp.
Many miners were still trapped in the mine’s different levels, which are 200-1,000 feet under ground.
Iftikhar Ahmed, a senior mine inspector, said chances of survival for the trapped miners were bleak, according to the Dawn News.
He said many of the miners died due to suffocation from methane gas.
The mine was declared dangerous two weeks ago, but the warning was ignored.
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