Local media in Pakistan are reporting that four workers died after a gas explosion prompted the collapse of the coal mine where they were working.
The mine is located in an area known as Sanjadi, some 70 kilometres from Quetta, the capital city of the northern province of Balochistan.
Chief Inspector of Mines Iftikhar Ahmed told GeoTV that at the time of the explosion, nine people were working at the site, six of them were trapped and only two were rescued alive.
The slain miners were identified as Mohammad Rahman, Yar Khan, Badsha Wazir and Ghulam Mohammad.
Less than a month ago, 23 people died following a blast at the Marwar coalfields, also located in the province of Baluchistan. Most mines in the region are owned by state-run Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation, which leases many of them to private contractors.
According to Reuters, accidents are frequent because safety measures are basic and many in the workforce come from other parts of the country.