Gas explosion in Pakistan coal mine kills 7, traps 13

At least seven miners were killed in a gas explosion caused by methane leak in a coal mine in Quetta's Sanjdi village area on Sunday evening.

According to reports, 13 people are also trapped in the mine following the explosion.

Rescue operations are underway, however, Pakistan's daily, DAWN reported quoting an official of Coal Miners Association in Balochistan, saying that the chances of the people trapped inside the mine are quite "bleak".

According to Pakistan's local media, Balochistan's Chief Inspector of Mines, Iftikhar Ahmed is present at the site to monitor the rescue work.

Balochistan is the largest of Pakistan’s four provinces. It has rich mineral and natural gas reserves but remains Pakistan's poorest province as people have argued that they do not get a fair share of its vast gas and mineral wealth. 

Cave-ins and other mining incidents occur quite often in the region, which is usually attributed to the poor enforcement of safety regulations which has frequently claimed several lives but many such reports go unreported also.

According to a report by Pakistan Central Mines Labour Federation, 100 to 200 labourers die on an average in coal mine accidents every year in the country.

On May 5, sixteen miners were reportedly killed after a mine collapsed due to a gas explosion in Marwaarh, 45 kilometres east of Quetta.

In 2011, a gas explosion at a Balochistan mine killed more than 40 people.