A gas leak explosion at a coal mine in eastern Iran has killed at least 30 people, with more than 20 others reported missing, state media reported on Sunday.
“The death toll in the Tabas mine accident has risen to 30,” the official IRNA news agency stated, revising an earlier figure of 19.
Javad Ghenaat, governor of South Khorasan province, where the mine is situated, told state television that rescue teams were working to retrieve 22 trapped workers.
According to IRNA, “17 others were injured” in the explosion, which occurred around 9:00 pm (1730 GMT) on Saturday when 69 workers were present at the site.
The blast was caused by a methane gas leak in two blocks of the mine.
State TV broadcast footage showing ambulances and helicopters arriving at the scene to transport the injured to hospital.
Online footage shared by IRNA showed the bodies of some victims, dressed in their work uniforms, being carried out of the mine on mining carts.
President Masoud Pezeshkian, speaking on state TV before departing for the UN General Assembly in New York, expressed his condolences to the victims’ families and ordered an investigation into the incident.
“Unfortunately, we received news of an accident at one of the coal mines in Tabas, and several of our compatriots have lost their lives. I extend my condolences to their families,” Pezeshkian said.
His first vice president, Mohammad Reza Aref, spoke with cabinet members to ensure “emergency follow-up” and support for the victims and their families, according to IRNA.
Iran’s Red Crescent stated that search and rescue operations were ongoing, though the presence of gas in the mine was hampering efforts.
“The accumulation of gas in the mine is complicating search operations,” local prosecutor Ali Nesaei told IRNA.
Nesaei added, “The priority is to provide aid to the injured and rescue those trapped. Any negligence or fault by relevant officials will be addressed later.”
Last year, a methane gas explosion in a coal mine in the northern city of Damghan claimed the lives of six people, as reported by local media.
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In May 2021, two miners died in a collapse at the same site.
In 2017, a blast at a coal mine in Azad Shahr, northern Iran, killed 43 miners, sparking public outrage against the Iranian authorities.
