A devastating gas leak in a coal mine in Sanjadi, on the outskirts of Quetta, Balochistan has claimed the lives of at least 11 miners on Monday. 

According to Shahid Rind spokesperson for the Balochistan government, the victims included 9 workers, a contractor, and a mine manager who were trapped deep in the mine when the incident occurred.

Abdul Ghani Baloch, chief mines inspector of the province, confirmed the incident and said that the miners were hailing from Swat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. He, while talking to The Khorasan Diary, attributed the incident to a gas leak that filled the tunnels, making their escape difficult.

This incident is the latest in a series of tragic events in Balochistan's coal mining areas, with at least 35 coal miners losing their lives in the past six months, including 17 in two separate incidents in March. 

The province has also seen a surge in armed attacks by Baloch militant groups targeting coal miners and security personnel, with local security officials stating that these attacks are aimed at extorting the local coal contractors.