QUETTA: Rescue teams recovered 32 bodies overnight from two coal mines in the Sorange coalfield near Quetta after a methane gas explosion, while the search for two more miners was under way on Friday, an official told Dawn.

The explosion occurred on Thursday at a private coal mine in the Sorange coalfield, about 30 kilometres northeast of Quetta. The methane gas explosion triggered a fire, caused the mine to collapse, and affected another nearby mine.

Chief Inspector of Mines Balochistan Muhammad Atif told Dawn that 34 miners were inside the two mines when the explosion occurred.

“So far, 32 bodies have been recovered from both mines,” he said. “The operation is continuing in the mine where the explosion took place to recover two miners.”

Earlier, officials said the explosion occurred on Thursday afternoon when 24 miners were working about 4,000 feet underground in the first mine. Soon after the explosion, a fire broke out inside the mine, causing parts of the structure to collapse.

The blast was heard over a wide area of Sorange.

The explosion severely affected another mine near the main site, with 12 miners working in the second mine at the time.

Mining engineers and workers had created alternative routes to access the affected mines, but the presence of large quantities of methane gas and the fire created major hurdles in reaching the bodies and trapped miners deep underground.

Provincial Minister for Mines and Minerals Mir Shoaib Nosher­wani announced that the provincial government would provide Rs500,000 compensation to the families of each deceased miner, while Rs300,000 would be paid to every injured worker. He also said an inquiry would be conducted into the incident.­

In June, three people were injured after explosive material used in mining had accidentally detonated in Quetta division’s Khanuzai area. In April, three coal miners were killed in a mine accident in Bolan.