At least 12 miners remain trapped after a methane gas explosion caused a mine to collapse in a remote area of southwest Pakistan, officials said Friday as authorities launched an operation to rescue the miners.

Twelve coal miners were feared dead after a gas explosion at a coal pit in southwestern Pakistan on Thursday, officials said.

State-run Pakistan International Airlines has resumed direct flights to Europe following a decision by the European Union’s aviation safety agency to lift a four-year ban over safety standards. Pakistan's defense minister inaugurated the twice-a-week flights to Paris and vowed that PIA will expand its operations to other European countries soon.