In Iran, more than fifty people have been killed and more than twenty others are missing after a coal mine explosion in eastern Iran. The disaster was apparently caused by a methane leak.
With our correspondent in Tehran, Siavosh Ghazi
The accident was caused by a methane leak that occurred on Saturday, September 21 at 9 p.m., which led to an explosion in two blocks of the mine, where sixty-nine miners were then working. There are believed to be more than fifty deaths. This is probably the heaviest toll in recent years. The Tabas mine is located in a remote, desert region.
Save the people still stuck
Javad Ghenaat, the governor of South Khorasan province, where the mine is located, said rescue teams were working to save 22 people still trapped. State television showed images of the injured being taken by ambulances or helicopters to area hospitals.
One of the miners who was rescued said they were caught in the smoke and gas but he was able to escape unharmed. In 2023, an explosion at a coal mine in Damghan, northernIranleft six dead, probably due to a methane leak, according to local media. In 2017, an explosion killed forty-three miners in Azadshahr, sparking anger against Iranian authorities.
Before leaving for the UN General Assembly in New York, President Massoud Pezeshkian offered his condolences to the families and ordered an investigation.
