Iran coal mine blast kills at least 51
23 September 2024
A methane gas explosion in a coal mine killed at least 31 people in Iran’s South Khorasan province on 22 September. The incident happened at around 21:00 local time at a privately-owned mine operated by Madanjoo in the town of Tabas, around 335 miles (540km) southeast of Tehran.
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Iranian state media said that the explosion occurred in blocks B and C of the mine where 69 workers had been working at the time. Around 20 workers were rushed to hospital with injuries while rescue teams searched the mine for survivors in the hours following the blast.
Officials said that the mine had passed safety inspections in August and was complying with all regulations. An investigation has been opened to determine the cause.
The Tabas mine covers an area of around 11,600 square miles, according to Iranian officials, and contains large amounts of coking and thermal coal.
In September 2023, an explosion in a coal mine killed six people near the city of Damghan in Iran’s north. The IRNA state news agency said the blast occurred around 400 metres underground, trapping six workers. All six men were later confirmed to have died.