4 bodies recovered as search for 8 miners trapped after coal mine collapse in Pakistan continues

By Berk Kutay Gokmen

ISTANBUL (AA) - The bodies of four miners were recovered on Friday, and efforts are underway to rescue eight others who were trapped after an explosion in a coal mine in southwestern Pakistan a day earlier, officials said.

Twelve miners were trapped on Thursday when a coal mine collapsed due to a gas explosion in Sanjdi, approximately 40 kilometers (25 miles) southeast of Quetta, the capital city of the country's largest southwestern Balochistan province.

The trapped miners' chances of survival are "low," according to Dawn newspaper.

Balochistan government spokesman Shahid Rind earlier said rescue teams are on the scene and that additional teams have been deployed.

Mining accidents are common in Pakistan, and they are often caused by unsafe working conditions and lax enforcement of safety standards.