At least 16 miners have been tragically killed and nine others injured in Pakistan when a gallery collapsed after an explosion. Eleven other workers are missing.
A government source said the explosion was caused by an over-concentration of methane.
The Balochistan region where the mine was located may have a very rich subsoil, but its numerous mines operate in poor working safety conditions, with accidents at work being on the agenda.
According to local officials, the retrieval of the dead continues, but it will be time consuming, as the bodies of the unfortunate workers have been buried deep enough.
Pakistan's mines are owned by the state-owned Metal Development Agency, which leases many of them to private contractors.
Pakistan has huge carbon reserves estimated at more than 184 billion tonnes. Four billion tonnes are produced annually, most of which is used in blast furnaces to make bricks.