• Balochistan Chief Minister’s Inspection Team tasked with determining causes, fixing responsibility for negligence
• Four mines sealed as separate departmental inquiry launched

QUETTA: The Balochistan government has ordered a high-level inquiry into the deadly coal mine disaster in Sorange that claimed the lives of 34 miners, assigning the investigation to the Chief Minister’s Inspection Team (CMIT) to determine the causes of the tragedy and identify those responsible.

On the directives of Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti, the CMIT, headed by its chairman Bashir Ahmed Bangulzai, will conduct an on-site investigation into the July 30 accident.

The inquiry has been tasked with establishing the actual cause of the incident, reviewing the performance of the relevant authorities, fixing responsibility for any negligence, and proposing measures to prevent similar accidents in the future.

According to an official notification issued on Sunday, the CMIT has been directed to submit its findings and recommendations to the chief minister within two weeks.

Mines sealed

Separately, the mines and minerals department has also initiated a departmental inquiry into the incident. Authorities have sealed four coal mines, including the two directly affected by the accident, as part of the ongoing investigation.

The Sorange mine disaster, one of the deadliest mining accidents in Balochistan in recent years, claimed the lives of 34 miners after they were trapped 3,000 to 4,000 feet deep inside the coal mine.

Balochistan Chief Inspector of Mines Muhammad Atif said all 34 coal miners hailed from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Shangla district.

Abid Yaar, president of the Shangla Coal Mine Workers Association, said Mian Kalay in Shangla’s Pirabad town, from where 23 of the miners hailed, had become an epicentre of repeated coal mine tragedies.

He added that the victims, aged between 17 and 25, belonged to the same families and were cousins or close relatives. According to Mr Yaar, several of the deceased were orphans whose fathers had also lost their lives in previous coal mine accidents.

The tragedy has renewed concerns over mine safety standards, regulatory oversight and enforcement of safety protocols in the province’s coal mining sector.

Officials said the findings of the investigations would help determine accountability and guide future reforms aimed at improving worker safety and preventing similar tragedies.

Deadly mine explosions are common in Balochistan, with stakeholders often pointing out the abse­nce of essential safety protocols.

Published in Dawn, August 3rd, 2026