Miners trapped after deadly explosion – DW – 22.09.2024

Iranian state media reported on Sunday that at least 51 people were killed and 20 others injured in an incident at a coal mine in eastern Iran.

The fatalities occurred in a coal mine in Tabas, about 540 kilometers southeast of the capital Tehran.

What do we know so far?

State media had previously reported that about 24 people were trapped underground. The explosion occurred at around 9 p.m. (5.30 p.m. GMT/UTC) on Saturday.

Rescue workers responded to the incident at the mine in South Khorasan province.

The cause of the accident was reportedly a methane gas explosion in two blocks of the mine operated by the Madanjoo company.

The total number of workers in both blocks was 69 when the explosion occurred, according to state media. Footage was broadcast in Iran of dead bodies in work uniforms being recovered from the mine.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed his condolences to the victims in a speech broadcast on state television.

“Unfortunately, we have learned that an accident occurred in one of the coal mines in Tabas and several of our compatriots were killed. I express my condolences to their families,” Pezeshkian said.

The Iranian president ordered that all necessary measures be taken to rescue the victims and also stated that an investigation into the disaster had been launched.

According to local prosecutor Ali Nesaei, the “gas accumulation in the mine” hampered search and rescue efforts.

“The priority at the moment is to provide assistance to the injured and rescue people from the rubble,” Nesaei said, according to state broadcaster IRNA.

How common are fatal mining accidents in Iran?

Although Iran is primarily known as an oil-producing country, it is also rich in various minerals, including coal. About 1.8 million tons of coal are extracted from Iranian mines every year.

Fatal disasters occur relatively regularly in Iranian mining.

In 2009, 20 workers died in several incidents. Eleven workers were killed in two separate mining accidents in 2013. An explosion in a coal mine in 2017 killed at least 42 people.

Lax safety standards and inadequate emergency measures in mining areas are often cited as the reason for the many deaths.

wd, rc/rm (Reuters, AFP, AP)