At least three laborers were killed and two others injured when part of a coal mine collapsed in Pakistan's southwest Balochistan province on Thursday, officials said, Trend reports citing Xinhua.
The miners were working in the deep cave when it collapsed in Dukki area of the province, senior police officer Sardar Hashim said.
He said a large number of laborers reached the site following the accident, and shifted the injured miners to a nearby hospital.
Pakistan has more than 184 billion tonnes of coal in reserve and it produces 4 million tonnes of coal annually. However, the mines are notorious for their unsafe working conditions and accidents are frequent due to lack of modern equipment.
According to the Pakistan Central Mines Labor Federation, about 100 to 200 laborers were killed or injured in coal mine accidents across the country every year.