Bodies of Pakistani miners found

Workers and families gather at the mine after the explosion

The bodies of all 15 coal miners killed in a gas explosion at a mine in west Pakistan have been recovered.

The explosion happened on Tuesday at the Sunjidi mine, about 50km (30 miles) east of Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province.

Mines inspector Maqbool Ahmad said the last eight bodies had been recovered late on Wednesday.

They were being returned to their families in various areas of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP).

Most labourers in the Balochistan mines come from NWFP.

Balochistan is rich in coal but its mines have a poor safety record.

Rescuers

Mr Ahmad told the BBC that private companies who lease the mines have been repeatedly directed to take greater safety measures and that safety records were improving.

He said the main dangers in the mines in the area came from dangerous methane and carbon monoxide gases.

Officials say the blast occurred 550 metres down in the 770 metre-deep mine.

"It was a gas explosion, but we don't know exactly what ignited it," Mr Ahmad said.

Hundreds of mines in Balochistan are operated by private companies who lease the land from the government.

Many mines suffer from poor equipment and the staff are often low-paid.

Pakistan has coal reserves estimated at around 184 billion tonnes.