A blast in a coal mine in eastern Iran caused the death of 51 workers and left 20 others injured, officials reported Sunday. This incident is considered one of the most severe mining tragedies in the nation’s history, with several individuals still unaccounted for following the explosion.
The explosion hit a coal mine in Tabas, located approximately 335 miles to the southeast of Tehran, on Saturday night. By Sunday, tearful miners were next to mine carts carrying the bodies of their coworkers, all coated in coal dust.
Approximately 70 individuals were employed when the explosion occurred. State television later reported that they believed 17 individuals were stuck at a depth of 650 feet inside a 2,300-foot tunnel. Nevertheless, there were varying figures reported on Sunday about the tragedy in the countryside, with some indicating a higher death toll.
Officials attributed the explosion to a methane gas leak. These gases are often found in mining operations, but modern safety protocols require ventilation and other precautions to safeguard workers.
The safety procedures in place at the privately owned Mandanjoo Co., which operated the Tabas Parvadeh 5 mine, were not immediately evident. The company was unavailable for comment on Sunday.
Iran’s newly elected reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian, getting ready to attend the U.N. General Assembly in New York, instructed for all possible actions to be taken to save those stuck and support their loved ones. He further mentioned that an inquiry into the blast had been initiated.
“I met with the health, interior, and security ministers and instructed them to swiftly address the concerns of the families of the victims and the injured,” Pezeshkian said in a statement from his office. I also asked for steps to be taken to avoid similar incidents in the future by enhancing the working conditions in the mines of the country.
However, Iran has experienced tragedies in its mining sector in the past. At least 42 individuals lost their lives in a coal mine explosion in 2017. During the campaign for his reelection, then-President Hassan Rouhani visited Iran’s northern Golestan province, where enraged miners surrounded the SUV he was in, kicking and hitting the armored vehicle in anger.
In two distinct mining accidents in 2013, a total of 11 workers lost their lives. Twenty workers lost their lives in multiple incidents in 2009. Frequent fatalities in mining areas were often attributed to lax safety standards and insufficient emergency services.
Iran, a country with a thriving oil industry, is also abundant in a wide range of minerals. Every year, Iran uses approximately 3.5 million tons of coal, while only mining about 1.8 million tons from its mines annually. The remaining amount is brought in, frequently used in the steel factories of the nation.
News Photo by Shane McLendon on Unsplash