![Teams conduct rescue operation after a methane gas explosion in a coal mine in Tabas district of South Khorasan, Iran [Iranian Red Crescent Society via Anadolu]](https://obasanjonews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Teams-conduct-rescue-operation-after-a-methane-gas-2.jpg)
A devastating coal mine explosion in Iran has claimed the lives of at least 50 people, according to state media. Learn more about the tragic incident and ongoing rescue efforts.
A blast at a coal mine in eastern Iran has claimed the lives of at least 51 individuals and left 20 injured, as reported by Iranian state television, which also mentioned that multiple workers remain trapped.
The incident was caused by a methane gas leak at a coal mine operated by the Madanjoo company in Tabas, located approximately 540 km (335 miles) southeast of Tehran, according to the IRNA news agency on Sunday. At the time of the accident, 69 individuals were working in sections B and C of the mine when the sudden gas leak occurred at 9:00 pm (1730 GMT) on Saturday.
The rescue efforts in block B have been finalized. From the 47 workers present in that section, 30 lost their lives and 17 sustained injuries, reported South Khorasan Province Governor Ali Akbar Rahimi to state TV. Rescue operations are now underway in block C, he noted, indicating that the methane concentration in that area is significant and the operation is projected to last about three to four hours.
‘This region supplies 76 percent of the nation’s coal, with roughly 8 to 10 major companies operating here…’ Rahimi stated.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, who was set to depart for New York for the United Nations General Assembly, issued a directive to mobilize all resources to reach those trapped and assist their families, also announcing that an inquiry has commenced regarding the incident. This is not the first tragedy to impact Iran’s mining sector. A coal mine explosion in 2017 resulted in at least 42 fatalities. Additionally, in 2013, 11 workers died in two separate mining accidents, and at least 20 workers lost their lives across multiple incidents in 2009.
Negligent safety regulations and insufficient emergency services in mining areas are frequently cited as causes for these fatalities.
