At least 51 dead in Iran coal mineshaft blast

September 22, 2024

A gas leak has been blamed for the explosion(Image: EPA)

A blast brought about by a gas spill at a coal mineshaft in eastern Iran has killed no less than 51 individuals, state media said on Sunday.

In excess of 20 others were harmed after the impact in South Khorasan territory.

It is accounted for to have been brought about by a methane gas blast in two blocks of the mine in Tabas, 540 km (335 miles) southeast of the capital Tehran.

The blast happened at 21:00 nearby time (17:30 GMT) on Saturday, state media said.

South Khorasan's lead representative Javad Ghenaatzadeh said there were 69 specialists in the blocks at the hour of the blast.

As per the AP news organization, he said: "There was a blast and tragically 69 individuals were working in the B and C blocks of Madanjoo mine.

"In block C there were 22 individuals and in block B there were 47 individuals."

It stays hazy the number of individuals that are as yet alive and caught inside the mine.

State media has now reexamined its previous cost of 30 dead.

"The quantity of dead laborers expanded to 51 and the quantity of harmed expanded to 20," the authority IRNA news organization announced.

As per the AP news organization, he said: "There was a blast and tragically 69 individuals were working in the B and C blocks of Madanjoo mine. "In block C there were 22 individuals and in block B there were 47 individuals." It stays hazy the number of individuals that are as yet alive and caught inside the mine. State media has now reexamined its previous cost of 30 dead. "The quantity of dead laborers expanded to 51 and the quantity of harmed expanded to 20," the authority IRNA news organization announced.

Coal Mine Explosion in Iran (Image: EPA)

Citing the head of Iran's Red Crescent, state TV said earlier on Sunday that 24 people were missing.

According to Reuters news agency, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed condolences to the victims' families.

"I spoke with ministers and we will do our best to follow up," Pezeshkian said in televised comments.

The Tabas mine covers an area of more than 30,000 square kilometres (nearly 11,600 square miles) and holds mass reserves of coking and thermal coal, according to IRNA.

It is "considered the richest and largest coal area in Iran," IRNA said.

Local prosecutor Ali Nesaei was quoted by state media as saying "gas accumulation in the mine" has made search operations difficult.

"Currently, the priority is to provide aid to the injured and pull people from under the rubble," Nesaei said.

He added that "the negligence and fault of the relevant agents will be dealt with" at a later date. Last year, an explosion at a coal mine in the northern city of Damghan killed six people, also likely the result of methane leak according to local media.

In May 2021, two miners died in a collapse at the same site, local media reported at the time.

A blast in 2017 killed 43 miners in Azad Shahr city in northern Iran, triggering anger towards Iranian authorities.

-Source: BBC NEWS.