QUETTA: At least two miners were killed and several others were feared trapped after an explosion in a private coal mine in the Sorange area of Balochistan’s provincial capital on Thursday.

Provincial Minister for Mines and Minerals Mir Shoaib Nosherwani confirmed the fatalities, adding that a rescue operation was underway at the incident site.

“The rescue operation was launched immediately after the coal mine collapse incident in Sorange,” said the minister.

Nosherwani added that the process of removing the debris and installing exhaust systems to reach the trapped miners was underway.

“All possible assistance will be provided to the families of the affected workers, and necessary instructions have been issued to the relevant authorities,” said the minister. He further said that the chief inspector of mines and Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) officials had reached the site on the instructions of provincial chief minister Sarfraz Bugti.

Earlier, labour leader Pir Muhammad Kakar told Dawn that around 25 workers were inside the mine at the time of the explosion.

“Three miners were rescued after the explosion. Around 22 workers remain trapped inside the mine,” Kakar said.

Speaking to Dawn, Chief Mines Inspector Ghani Baloch said that the incident occurred at the Sardar Usman Coal Company.

“Rescue teams, along with teams from the Mines Department, were dispatched to the site immediately after receiving information about the incident,” he said.

Rescue 1122 Operations Director Riaz Raisani also confirmed that rescue teams were dispatched immediately after receiving information about the incident.

“Due to the area’s distance from Quetta city and its difficult terrain, the teams have not yet reached the site,” Raisani said.

According to the PDMA, rescue teams were dispatched to the site after receiving information from the police.

“Four ambulances are also part of the teams dispatched on the instructions of PDMA Director General Jehanzeb Khan,” the PDMA official said.

In June, at least three people were injured after explosive material used in mining accidentally detonated in the Khanuzai area.

In April, at least five coal miners were killed in two separate mine accidents that took place in the Bolan and Duki coalfield areas of Balochistan.