A methane gas explosion at a coal mine in Sorange, near Quetta in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, has claimed the lives of 34 miners, prompting renewed calls for stronger occupational safety and health protections across the country’s mining industry.
The explosion occurred on 30 July. Following a recovery operation lasting almost 45 hours, rescue teams confirmed that all trapped miners had been accounted for and there were no survivors.
Investigation under way
The Balochistan government has launched a high-level inquiry into the disaster, sealed four mines and announced compensation for the families of those killed.
Investigations into the cause of the explosion are continuing.
The incident is the latest in a series of fatal mining accidents in Pakistan involving gas explosions, roof collapses and other workplace hazards, highlighting ongoing concerns over mine safety standards.
Unions call for accountability
IndustriALL affiliate, the Pakistan Central Mines Labour Federation (PCMLF), has called for an independent judicial investigation, greater accountability where negligence is identified and stronger mine inspections.
The PCMLF and the Pakistan Mine Workers Federation (PMWF) have also urged the government to ratify and implement International Labour Organization Convention No. 176 on Safety and Health in Mines.
Stronger protections urged
Trade unions reported that monitoring indicates mining fatalities have fallen by around 50% over the past two years. However, they stressed that every preventable death demonstrates the need for further improvements.
The organisations are calling for expanded mandatory safety training, modern gas detection, ventilation, communications and emergency rescue systems at every mine, as well as greater worker involvement in mine safety governance.
They also emphasised the importance of effective labour inspection, social dialogue and ensuring workers can raise safety concerns without fear of reprisal.
IndustriALL Assistant General Secretary, Kemal Özkan, said: “Compensation cannot replace the lives of miners or ease the profound loss suffered by their families.
“The mining industry can only be sustainable when every employer, every authority and every stakeholder treats the protection of workers’ lives as a non-negotiable responsibility rather than a cost to be managed.”
IndustriALL Energy and Mining Director, Emmanuel Adjei-Danso, said: “The people who understand the risks better than anyone are the miners themselves.
“When workers are free to organize, speak up about unsafe conditions and participate in safety decisions, tragedies become less likely. Listening to workers is one of the most effective safety measures any mining sector can adopt.”
