A blast caused by a gas leak at an Iranian coal mine has killed at least 51 people, state media said yesterday, in one of the country’s deadliest work accidents in years.
“The number of dead workers increased to 51” in the explosion at the Tabas mine in eastern Iran, the state-run IRNA news agency reported, revising an earlier death toll of 30.
It added that 20 other people were injured.
Phto: Iranian Red Crescent Society via EPA-EFE
The explosion occurred at about 9pm on Saturday, when about 70 workers were present at the site in South Khorasan Province, IRNA said.
A methane gas leak led to the blast in two blocks of the mine, which is owned by private Iranian firm Madanjoo, the report said.
State TV broadcast footage of ambulances and helicopters arriving at Tabas to transport the injured to hospital.
Online footage carried by IRNA showed bodies of some of the victims, wearing their work uniform, carried out of the site on mining carts.
South Khorasan Governor Javad Ghenaat told state TV that rescue teams were working to recover the remaining bodies.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, in remarks carried on state TV before departing for the UN General Assembly in New York, offered his condolences to the families of the victims and ordered a probe into the deadly incident.
“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.
Iranian 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.
Search-and-rescue operations were under way in the mine, where some workers remained trapped, the Iranian Red Crescent Society said.
The miners were about 250m below the surface, cut off from rescuers by chambers that had filled up with concentrated methane gas, IRNA said.
“Gas accumulation in the mine” has made the search operations difficult, IRNA quoted local prosecutor Ali Nesaei as saying.
“Currently, the priority is to provide aid to the injured and pull people from under the rubble,” he said.
“The negligence and fault of the relevant agents will be dealt with” later, he added.
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.
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