Death toll in Pakistan mine disaster rises to 45

[News_Editor]

Death toll in Pakistan mine disaster rises to 45

2011-03-22 09:16:20 GMT+7 (ICT)

QUETTA, PAKISTAN (BNO NEWS) -- The death toll after a series of gas explosions at a coal mine in western Pakistan on Sunday has risen to at least 45, local media reported on Monday.

The three explosions happened at around 2 a.m. local time on Sunday at a coal mine in Surran range, around 40 kilometers (24.8 miles) east of the city of Quetta, where reports say a group of 52 miners were working. The mine is run by the Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation, which is run by the Pakistani government.

Provincial Minister Sardar Aslam Bezinjo during a press conference on Monday confirmed that 45 miners had died, as 25 of their bodies had been recovered.

Search for missing miners is currently being carried out, but officials said their chances of survival were slim because of the high level of gas remaining inside the mine. It is believed that an accumulation of methane gas led to the explosions.

The mine disaster is one of Pakistan's worst in years.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-03-22