At least 32 miners were killed and 10 others remained trapped underground after a methane gas explosion at a coal mine in southwest Pakistan on Thursday.
The blast occurred at a mine on the outskirts of Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province, government mine inspector Ghani Baloch said.
Seven bodies were recovered several hours after the explosion, while rescue teams later found 25 more, officials and the provincial disaster management agency said.
Rescue operations were continuing to locate and bring out the remaining trapped miners.
Baloch said rescuers would continue their efforts until all the trapped workers were found, but warned that the death toll could rise.
He said the chances of finding survivors decrease after methane explosions because oxygen levels inside the mine can fall sharply. Rescuers were also moving cautiously because of the dangerous conditions.
Authorities were handing over the recovered bodies to their families for burial, while relatives of the trapped miners waited anxiously for updates, Baloch said.
Baluchistan Mines and Minerals Minister Shoaib Nosherwani said rescue teams were working in extremely difficult conditions. He expressed condolences to the families of the victims and announced compensation of 500,000 Pakistani rupees (around $1,800) for each miner who died.
He also said authorities would investigate the cause of the explosion and review safety measures at coal mines.
A coal miners' union, meanwhile, blamed possible negligence for the accident and called for action against those responsible.
The Pakistan Central Mines Labour Federation urged the government to strictly enforce mine safety rules and take strong action against companies that fail to comply with safety regulations.
Deadly accidents are frequent in Pakistan's coal mining sector, particularly in Baluchistan, where many mines lack proper ventilation, gas monitoring systems and other basic safety facilities.
Mine workers and labour groups have long accused mine owners of failing to enforce safety rules and provide adequate protective equipment.
Despite the dangerous working conditions and low wages, thousands of people depend on coal mining for their livelihoods in Baluchistan, Pakistan's largest and least developed province, where poverty and unemployment remain widespread.