Tehran: An explosion in a coal mine in eastern Iran killed at least 34 workers and injured 17 others, officials said, marking one of the worst mining disasters in the country’s history while many others remained missing hours after the blast. The blast struck a coal mine in Tabas, about 540 km southeast of the capital, Tehran. By Sunday, weeping miners stood alongside mine cars that brought up the bodies of colleagues, all covered in coal dust.
Around 70 people had been working at the time of the blast. State television later said 17 were believed to be trapped at a depth of 650 feet down a 2,300-foot tunnel. However, figures kept changing throughout Sunday, with some reports suggesting the death toll was higher.
A provincial emergency official told the state-run IRNA news agency that the death toll had reached at least 34 as rescue efforts continued.
Authorities blamed the blast on a leak of methane gas. Such gases are common in mining, though modern safety measures call for ventilation and other measures to protect workers. It wasn’t immediately clear what safety procedures were in place at the privately owned Mandanjoo Co, which operated the Tabas Parvadeh 5 mine.
