A gas explosion in a coal mine in Iran’s South Khorasan Province killed at least 31 people and injured 16, according to Interior Minister, Eskandar Momeni.
Local media initially reported 51 deaths due to a methane gas explosion in two blocks of the Madanjoo company’s mine. The explosion occurred at 9 p.m. on Saturday.
Seventeen miners are still missing, with rescue teams still approximately 400 meters from their likely location. There were 69 workers in the blocks at the time of the explosion. The mine, inspected last month, complied with safety regulations, said Labour Minister Ahmad Meydari.
Governor Ali Akbar Rahimi of the South Khorasan Province said that 76% of the country’s coal comes from this region
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei sent condolences to the victims’ families.
President Masoud Pezeshkian ordered all efforts to rescue trapped workers and aid their families. He also ordered an investigation into the accident.
This is not the first disaster to strike Iran’s mining industry, with previous explosions in 2013 and 2017 resulting in heavy fatalities.
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