QUETTA: At least eight coal mine workers were killed and two others fell unconscious on Monday by poisonous gas in a coal mine in Duki area of Balochistan's Loralai district, DawnNews reported.

Levies sources told DawnNews that toxic gas accumulated in a coal mine in Duki area causing ten coal miner workers  to fall unconscious. Rescue and emergency teams rushed to the spot upon receiving information and pulled the workers out. But eight workers had died of suffocation before they could be rescued.

The unconscious workers recovered from the mine were shifted to District Hospital Duki.

“The blast took place due to methane gas. Eight workers died on the spot while two others were taken to hospital after being rescued,” confirmed Mohammad Iftikhar, the provincial chief inspector of mines.

He told AFP that the accident happened when 200 miners were working more than 600 metres underground.

All the mine workers hailed from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.