Tragedy In Tehran: 34 Workers Dead, 17 Trapped In Iran’s Coal Mine Explosion

Tehran: An explosion at a coal mine in eastern Iran killed 34 workers and injured 17 others, officials said on Sunday. 

This incident marks one of the worst mining disasters in the country's history, with several individuals still unaccounted for hours after the blast.

The explosion occurred at a mine in Tabas, located approximately 540 km (335 miles) southeast of Tehran, on Saturday night. By Sunday, grieving miners gathered near mine cars that brought up the bodies of their colleagues, all covered in coal dust.

34 Killed, 17 Trapped At Mining Site 

At the time of the explosion, around 70 workers were on site. State television later reported that 17 individuals were believed to be trapped 200 meters (650 feet) down a 700-meter (2,300-foot) tunnel. The figures surrounding the disaster fluctuated throughout Sunday, with some reports suggesting a higher death toll.

Provincial emergency official Mohammad Ali Akhoundi told the state-run IRNA news agency that the confirmed death toll had reached at least 34, as rescue operations continued. Survivors interviewed by state TV, still covered in coal dust, recounted the chaotic aftermath of the explosion.

Iran's new reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian, who is set to visit the UN General Assembly, said he ordered all efforts be made to rescue those trapped and aid their families.

 He also said an investigation into the explosion had begun.

“I spoke with the ministers of health, interior and security and ordered that the issues of the families of the victims and the injured be quickly resolved,” Pezeshkian said, according to a statement from his office. 

“I also requested to take measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents by improving work standards in the country's mines.”

Mining Disasters In Iran

But Iran's mining industry has been struck by disasters before. In 2017, a coal mine explosion killed at least 42 people. 

Then-President Hassan Rouhani, campaigning ahead of winning reelection, visited the site in Iran's northern Golestan province and angry miners besieged the SUV he rode in, kicking and beating the armored vehicle in a rage.

In 2013, 11 workers were killed in two separate mining incidents. In 2009, 20 workers were killed in several incidents. Lax safety standards and inadequate emergency services in mining areas were often blamed for the fatalities.

Oil-producing Iran is also rich in a variety of minerals. Iran annually consumes around 3.5 million tons of coal, but only extracts about 1.8 million tons from its mines per year. The rest is imported, often consumed in the country's steel mills.

(With inputs from AP)