At least 12 miners are feared dead after a gas explosion at a coalmine in southwestern Pakistan. The explosion occurred on Tuesday evening after a buildup of gas in the mine owned by a private company in Sinjidi, about 45km east of the main southwestern city of Quetta, the provincial Chief Inspector of Mines Maqbul Hussain said. 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. **PHOTO CAPTION*** Residents gather outside a coal mine where a gas explosion trapped some mine workers near the southwestern city of Quetta May 26, 2004. (REUTERS)