KARACHI, Pakistan

At least seven miners were killed and another two injured in a coal mine explosion in northern Afghanistan, police said on Wednesday.

The explosion took place inside a coal mine in the Dar-e-Suf Payin district of Samangan province, said a statement from the provincial police command.

Rescuers and security personnel rushed to the site, rescued the injured and recovered the bodies from the mine tunnel.

Hashmatullah Rahmani, the provincial police spokesman, told reporters that the explosion was triggered by a buildup of methane gas at one of the collieries, killing seven people on the spot.

The injured were transported to a local hospital.

Coal mine accidents are not rare in Afghanistan because of lax safety measures.