QUETTA, May 25: Fifteen people died in a methane gas explosion in a coal-mine in Sinjidi area, some 45 kilometres from here, on Tuesday, Chief Mines Inspector Maqbool Ahmed said.

"Three bodies were recovered from the mine," he said, adding that the explosion in the coal-mine of United Minerals took place in the afternoon. "In such an explosion the chances of survival usually remained remote," he said from the site.

Soon after the incident rescue teams rushed to the site. According to reports 15 collies were working in the mine at a depth of 2,500 feet when the explosion took place. The bodies of the three miners were recovered till 1.00am. Two of the victims were identified as Khan Bacha and Bakht Khan.

APP ADDS: The chief mines inspector said that they received information about the accident at around 6.30pm and rushed to the site with a rescue team from Quetta. A rescue team in Sinjdi had already started rescue operation. He said that an inquiry into the accident would be conducted by the Balochistan government.