Gas explosion at Iranian coal mine kills 30, over 20 missing

A devastating explosion caused by a gas leak at a coal mine in eastern Iran has left at least 30 people dead, with more than 20 others reported missing, according to state media on Sunday.

The blast occurred at the Tabas mine in South Khorasan province, leading to a tragic loss of life and multiple injuries.

Javad Ghenaat, the governor of South Khorasan, confirmed that rescue teams were still working to recover 22 trapped workers.

The explosion, which took place around 9:00 pm local time on Saturday, was attributed to a methane gas leak that triggered the blast in two sections of the mine. At the time, 69 workers were present at the site.

Seventeen other workers were injured, and footage from state TV showed ambulances, helicopters, and rescue teams transporting the injured to hospitals. Online footage also displayed the grim scenes of bodies being carried out of the site on mining carts.

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and ordered an investigation into the incident before leaving for the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

“Unfortunately, we learned that an accident occurred in one of the coal mines in Tabas and a number of our compatriots lost their lives. I offer my condolences to their respected 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, IRNA said.

Iran’s Red Crescent said search and rescue operations were underway in the mine, where some workers remained trapped.

But “gas accumulation in the mine” has made the search operations difficult, local prosecutor Ali Nesaei was quoted by IRNA as saying.

“Currently, the priority is to provide aid to the injured and pull people from under the rubble,” Nesaei said.

He added that “the negligence and fault of the relevant agents will be dealt with” later on.

Last year, an explosion at a coal mine in the northern city of Damghan killed six people, also likely the result of methane leak according to local media.

In May 2021, two miners died in a collapse at the same site, local media reported at the time.

A blast in 2017 killed 43 miners in Azad Shahr city in northern Iran, triggering anger toward Iranian authorities.

AFP