Accidents are common in Pakistan’s coal mining industry, particularly in Balochistan, where many mines lack basic safety measures.

A coal mine explosion has killed at least 11 miners in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, with dozens of people still missing.

The bodies of the miners were recovered hours after the deadly blast on Thursday, which is believed to have been triggered by a buildup of methane gas, said government mine inspector Ghani Baloch.

Rescue workers assisted by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority and other emergency responders will continue the search until all of the trapped miners are accounted for, Baloch added.

A total of 36 people were in the collapsed part of the complex at the time of the explosion, the province’s chief inspector of mines, Muhammad Atif, said.

Twenty-eight were still missing by late Thursday night, with rescue efforts ongoing at a depth of 4,000 feet (1,219 metres), he told the news agency Reuters.

“We are hopeful to find some miners alive, but chances are low,” he said.

The explosion occurred in Sorange, a remote area near the provincial capital Quetta.

Accidents are common in Pakistan’s coal mining industry, particularly in Balochistan, where many mines lack adequate ventilation, gas monitoring systems and other basic safety measures.

Mineworkers and labour groups have long accused mine owners of failing to enforce safety regulations or provide adequate protective equipment.

Despite the risks and low wages, thousands of miners depend on the coal industry for their livelihoods in Balochistan, which is Pakistan’s largest, but least developed, province, where unemployment and poverty remain widespread.