Several Dead in Pakistan Mine Blast

He said three badly burned bodies had been recovered from the 770 metre deep mine and nine other people remained under the rubble. He said the chance of their survival was remote.

"It will be a miracle if anyone is found alive," he said.

Mining accidents are not uncommon in Pakistan, where safety standards, especially at private mines, can be lax.

The country has huge coal reserves estimated at more than 184 billion tones. It produces four million tones of coal annually, most of which is consumed by brick-making kilns.