A government official says a methane gas explosion in a coal mine has killed at least six miners in southwest Pakistan.

Senior government official Javed Anwar said eleven coal miners were also missing after Saturday's incident in Marghat village in the Baluchistan province.

He said a rescue operation is underway but that the missing miners' chances of survival were slim.

Marghat village is located near Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province, where such incidents are common mainly because of poor safety measures.