Methane Blast Kills 34 Coal Miners in Pakistan's Balochistan Province

A methane gas explosion tore through a coal mine in Balochistan's Sor Range area near Quetta on July 30, 2026. Rescue operations concluded the following day with authorities confirming 34 miners dead. Three miners were rescued. Methane accumulation in poorly ventilated shafts is a recurrent hazard in Balochistan's mining sector, where regulatory enforcement of safety standards remains chronically under-resourced.