More than 200 people stood outside the mine waiting to help or hear news from
the search, but since Sunday's accident, only bodies – 27 of them – have
been recovered. Wooden caskets have been lined up to await the remaining
bodies, which is feared to have left 52 dead.
"We have yet to dig out and search the remaining two wings, but there is
zero per cent chance we can get anybody alive," said Iftekhar Ahmed, a
government mine inspector.
Mr Ahmed said the mine, owned by the state-run Pakistan Mineral Development
Corporation, was declared dangerous two weeks ago due to the presence of
methane gas, but the warning was ignored by the contractor working it.
Methane gas is a major cause of coal mine explosions around the world. It can
cause also cause asphyxiation.
Ghulam Mohammad, a miner, said he feared for the lives of his friends. "None
of my five room-mates have been found dead or alive yet," said the
30-year-old, who finished his shift just hours before the explosion.
Seven of the victims recovered so far were from a single family from the Swat
Valley in northwest Pakistan.
The search for the bodies was slowed by the presence of the gas and the
fragile state of the mine, which prevented the use of heavy machinery, he
said.
Ten of the dead were charred from the explosion and ensuing fire, while the
others appeared to have been killed by falling debris or suffocation, said
Ahmed. The bodies were at a depth of about 2,000 feet, but the mine
continues down to 4,000 feet.
Ghulam Rasool, a 25-year-old miner who spent all morning searching for
victims, said the work was exhausting and hampered by gas. "The mine's
wooden support has collapsed at many points, leaving huge chunks of debris
blocking the way," he said.
The mine is located in Sorange in Baluchistan province, 25 miles east of
Quetta, the provincial capital.
Mining – for gems, marble, granite, chromite and coal – is one of the only
industries in much of Baluchistan and northwest Pakistan. But it has
attracted very little foreign investment in recent years due to the
precarious security situation. Accidents are commonplace.
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