The death toll due to mine collapse in Sanjdi reached 14 as two more bodies were pulled out from the debris during rescue work Thursday.

According to Balochistan Chief Inspector for Mines Iftikhar Ahmed, the rescue work was halted a day earlier as high amount of poisonous gas had accumulated in the coalmine.

However, bodies of five workers were still trapped in the coalmine till this report was filed.

Bodies of nine workers were pulled out from the collapsed coalmine a few days back, on August 13.

The mine collapsed Sunday night when workers were busy digging deep inside.

It was unclear what caused the explosion in the Sanjdi mine, situated 70 kilometres away from Quetta, Deputy Commissioner Captain (retired) Tahir Zafar Abbasi said. The pit workers were in a tunnel at a depth of some 4,000 feet.

Accidents, especially those with fatalities, in Pakistan's coalmines are becoming commonplace, highlighting the need for better labour protections.

Numerous workers have lost their lives or suffered a physical disability in incidents in the mines.

On June 3, four labourers died after getting trapped under the debris following a gas explosion in a mine in the same area, Sanjdi.

Prior to that, on May 6, at least 23 miners were killed when two coal mines collapsed near Quetta. The first accident had occurred in Marwaarh, 45 kilometres east of Quetta due to a gas explosion.

Later in the day, another coal mine collapsed in Sooranj, in which seven miners were killed. Two were rescued in an unconscious state, while bodies of two miners were recovered later.