At least 34 coal miners were killed and two remained trapped after a methane gas explosion buried sections of a mining complex in the Sorange area near Quetta on Thursday, officials said.
Rescue teams worked through the night and had recovered 32 bodies by Friday morning, while efforts continued to retrieve the remaining two miners from underground.
Officials said the explosion damaged two neighbouring mines and caused parts of the complex to collapse. Thirty-six miners were believed to have been inside the affected section when the blast occurred.
The rescue operation was being carried out at a depth of around 4,000 feet under difficult and dangerous conditions, according to mining and disaster-management officials.
Authorities said the explosion was believed to have been caused by an accumulation of methane gas inside the mine.
Balochistan’s Minister for Mines and Minerals, Shoaib Nosherwani, said the government would provide Rs500,000 in compensation to the family of each miner killed in the explosion.
He said a detailed investigation would be conducted into the cause of the disaster and that safety arrangements at coal mines would also be reviewed.
The Pakistan Central Mines Labour Federation blamed alleged negligence for the explosion and called for action against those responsible, along with stricter enforcement of mine safety regulations.
Coal mining accidents are frequently reported in Balochistan, where labour organisations have repeatedly raised concerns over inadequate ventilation, weak gas-monitoring systems and the limited enforcement of safety standards.