QUETTA: At least four miners were killed in an explosion in a coal mine in the Chamalang coalfield area of Duki district on Tuesday.

Sources said that the four miners were digging inside the mine when the explosion took place after which a fire broke out inside it.

Levies officials said that after the explosion the mouth of the mine was closed, leaving the four miners trapped inside the mine.

After receiving information about the incident, rescue teams rushed to the area and, along with local workers, launched a rescue operation.

After clearing the mouth of the mine, the rescuers reached deep inside the mine, but they found all the four coal miners dead.

They took out the bodies from the mine and shifted them to a local hospital.

The Levies officials said the explosion was caused by methane gas accumulated in the mine.

All the four deceased coal miners hailed from the Kakar Khorasan area of Zhob district.

The bodies of the miners were later handed over to their families.

The officials concerned visited the mine later in the day and closed it for an investigation into the incident.

Published in Dawn, September 22nd, 2021