Death toll rises after methane leak causes explosion at japanese Iran coal mine
A devastating methane leak triggered an explosion at a coal mine in eastern Iran, resulting in the death of at least 30 people and injuring 17 others, according to Iranian state media reports on Sunday. It’s believed that another 24 miners are still trapped inside.
The fatal incident occurred at a coal mine in Tabas, located approximately 540 kilometers (335 miles) southeast of the capital, Tehran.
Emergency personnel were dispatched to the area following the blast late Saturday, with around 70 people reported to have been working at the site at the time of the explosion. State TV later reported that 24 individuals are thought to be trapped inside.
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Provincial Governor Mohammad Javad Qenaat informed state TV that 30 miners had lost their lives and 17 had been injured.
(Image: Getty Images)
Iran’s newly elected reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian, who is preparing for a trip to New York for the United Nations General Assembly, stated that he has ordered all possible efforts to rescue those trapped and support their families. He also confirmed that an investigation into the incident has commenced.
Despite being a major oil producer, Iran is also rich in various minerals. The country consumes approximately 3.5 million tons of coal annually but only extracts about 1.8 million tons from its mines each year.
The remainder is imported, often used in the nation’s steel mills.
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
This isn’t the first catastrophe to hit Iran’s mining industry. In 2013, 11 workers lost their lives in two separate mining incidents.
In 2009, 20 workers died in several incidents. In 2017, a coal mine explosion resulted in the deaths of at least 42 people.
The fatalities are often attributed to slack safety measures and insufficient emergency services in mining regions.
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