10 Pakistani coal miners trapped after methane explosion

QUETTA, Pakistan – Pakistani rescue teams struggled to save 10 miners trapped in a coalmine after a methane gas explosion in the southwestern Baluchistan province, an official said Monday.

One other miner had already been rescued because he was closer to the surface when the blast occurred late Sunday, according to Liaquat Shahwani, a provincial government spokesman.

The explosion happened more than 4,000 feet (1,220 metres) below the surface, and the mine in the Degari area near the provincial capital, Quetta, partially caved in.

Shahwani said he’s hopeful the 10 trapped miners will be rescued.

Safety standards are commonly ignored in the coal mining industry in Pakistan, leading to accidents and explosions that have killed numerous mine workers in recent years.