Key Factors
- Fifty-one folks have been killed in an explosion at an Iranian coal mine.
- State media mentioned a methane gasoline leak led to the blast in two of the mine’s blocks, the place almost 70 folks had been working.
- Twenty folks have reportedly been injured, and Iran’s Pink Crescent mentioned search and rescue operations had been underway.
A blast brought on by a gasoline leak at an Iranian coal mine has killed not less than 51 folks, state media mentioned, in one of many nation’s deadliest work accidents in years.
“The variety of useless employees elevated to 51” within the explosion on the Tabas mine in jap Iran, the official IRNA information company reported on Sunday, revising an earlier demise toll of 30.
It added that 20 different folks had been injured.
The explosion occurred at round 9pm on Saturday native time (3.30am Sunday AEST), when round 70 employees had been current on the web site in South Khorasan province, state information company IRNA mentioned.
Iran’s Pink Crescent mentioned search and rescue operations had been nonetheless underway within the mine, the place some employees remained trapped. Supply: AAP / Iranian Pink Crescent Society
Based on the report, a leak of methane gasoline led to the blast in two blocks of the mine, which is owned by non-public Iranian agency Madanjoo.
State TV broadcast footage of ambulances and helicopters arriving at Tabas to move the injured to hospital.
On-line footage shared by IRNA confirmed our bodies of among the victims, carrying their work uniform, carried out of the location on mining carts.
South Khorasan governor Javad Ghenaat advised state TV that rescue groups had been working to recuperate the remaining our bodies.
President affords condolences
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, in remarks reported by state TV earlier than departing for the UN Basic Meeting in New York, supplied his condolences to the households of the victims and ordered an investigation into the lethal incident.
“Sadly, we realized that an accident occurred in one of many coal mines in Tabas and a lot of our compatriots misplaced their lives. I supply my condolences to their revered households,” Pezeshkian mentioned.
His first vice chairman, Mohammad Reza Aref, spoke with cupboard members to make sure “emergency follow-up” and assist for the victims and their households, IRNA mentioned.
Iran’s Pink Crescent mentioned search and rescue operations had been underway within the mine, the place some employees remained trapped.
Almost 70 employees had been within the sections of the mine the place the explosion occurred. Supply: AAP / Iranian Pink Crescent Society
Based on IRNA, they had been about 250m beneath the floor, lower off from rescuers by chambers that had crammed up with concentrated methane gasoline.
“Fuel accumulation within the mine” has made the search operations troublesome, native prosecutor Ali Nesaei was quoted by IRNA as saying.
“Presently, the precedence is to offer assist to the injured and pull folks from beneath the rubble,” Nesaei mentioned.
He added that “the negligence and fault of the related brokers shall be handled” in a while.
A historical past of lethal mine incidents
Final 12 months, an explosion at a coal mine within the northern metropolis of Damghan killed six folks, additionally doubtless the results of methane leak, in response to native media.
In Could 2021, two miners died in a collapse on the similar web site, native media reported on the time.
A blast in 2017 killed 43 miners within the northern Iranian metropolis of Azad Shahr metropolis, triggering anger towards Iranian authorities.
Mineral-rich Iran has round 1.5 billion tons of confirmed coal reserves, in response to state media.
The Tabas mine covers an space of greater than 30,000 sq. kilometres and holds mass reserves of coking and thermal coal, in response to IRNA.
It’s “thought of the richest and largest coal space in Iran,” IRNA mentioned.
