A methane gas explosion tore through a private coal mine in the Sorange area on the outskirts of Quetta on Thursday, killing several miners and trapping dozens underground, with the toll rising through the day as rescue teams recovered bodies.

Figures remained unconfirmed and varied between authorities as the operation continued. Provincial Mines and Minerals Minister Mir Shoaib Nosherwani initially confirmed that two miners had been killed and that a rescue was under way. Later accounts put the number of recovered bodies higher at least six, according to wire reports ; with as many as 42 workers feared trapped, though officials cautioned it was too early to give a definitive count.

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Chief Mines Inspector Abdul Ghani Baloch said the blast occurred at the Sardar Usman lease when accumulated methane ignited deep inside the mine, triggering a collapse that blocked exit routes. Rescue teams from the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), the Mines Rescue Department and the district administration were mobilised, and three miners were pulled out alive in the early hours of the operation.

Pir Muhammad Kakar, general secretary of the Pakistan United Workers Federation Balochistan, said around 25 workers had been inside when the explosion struck. "Three miners were rescued after the explosion," he said, appealing for all available resources to be mobilised at once.

Rescue 1122 Operations Director Riaz Raisani said his teams moved as soon as the incident was reported, but that the mine's distance from Quetta and the difficult terrain had slowed their approach. According to the PDMA, four ambulances were dispatched on the instructions of Director General Jehanzeb Khan after police first reported the blast. Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti ordered senior officials to the site and directed that all possible help be given to the affected families.

Nosherwani said crews were clearing debris and installing exhaust systems to vent the shaft and reach those still trapped ; slow, hazardous work given the volume of methane still inside the mine.

The disaster is the latest in a long line of mining accidents in Balochistan, where privately operated coal mines are notorious for poor ventilation, inadequate gas-detection equipment and weak enforcement of safety rules. Earlier this year, coal miners were killed in separate accidents in the Harnai and Duki coalfields. Labour unions have repeatedly blamed such deaths on institutional negligence and the failure to enforce even basic workplace protections.

This is a developing story. Balochistan Dispatch will update as rescue efforts continue.