23 miners killed in Quetta twin coal mine collapse

At least 23 miners have been killed after two neighbouring coal mines caved in here due to gas explosions.

The death toll is likely to rise.

The first incident occurred at a mine in Marwaarh, east of the city of Quetta in Balochistan.

"The roof caved in following an explosion triggered by the accumulation of methane gas, killing 16 miners and wounding nine others, two of them seriously", Jawaid Shahwani, commissioner of Quetta Division said, as quoted by Geo News.

According to him, nearly 25 workers were inside the mine when the explosion occurred. All the injured miners were rescued and taken to the hospital.

He further said that some bodies were recovered but the ones buried deep inside would take time to be recovered.

Later, another coal mine collapsed in Sooranj area, in which seven miners were killed, Geo TV reported.

Rescue teams are trying to find others still trapped in the rubble.

Balochistan is rich in minerals but its mines have a poor safety record.

In March 2011, a similar incident occurred, killing at least 43 workers in Balochistan.