12 coal miners trapped after mine collapses in southwest Pakistan

QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) — A methane gas explosion caused a mine to collapse in a remote area in southwest Pakistan, trapping at least 12 miners, officials said Friday as authorities launched an operation to rescue the miners.

Abdul Ghani, a mines inspector, said the explosion occurred Thursday night in Singidi, a town in Balochistan province. He said rescuers have been carefully removing debris from the mine for hours as part of a rescue effort. None of the miners had been rescued yet, he added.

Shahid Rind, a spokesman in the Balochistan government, said all available resources are being used to save the lives of the coal miners. In a statement, he said an investigation has also been ordered to determine the cause of the collapse of the mine.

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.

On Thursday, Pakistani security forces rescued at least eight of 16 mine workers who had been kidnapped by local militants.