Islamabad - At least eight coal miners were suffocated by a poison gas leak in Pakistan's south-western Balochistan province on Sunday, a media report said.

The gas leak occurred early in the morning in a coal mine in the Mach area, some 50 kilometres from the provincial capital Quetta, according to the private Geo News television channel.

A rescue team was sent to the mine to retrieve the bodies, Geo reported. (dpa)