TABAS, IRAN – A devastating explosion in an Iranian coal mine claimed the lives of at least 34 laborers, with an additional 17 sustaining injuries, Iranian authorities reported on Sunday. This event has been marked as one of the nation’s most catastrophic mining mishaps. Several employees are still unaccounted for for several hours post-blast.
On Saturday night, a devastating blast swept through the Tabas coal mine situated approximately 540 kilometers southeast of Tehran, Iran’s capital. By Sunday, mournful mine workers standing beside mining carts conveyed the bodies of their co-workers, all enveloped in coal dust.
Around 70 workers were estimated to be present when the incident occurred. Reports received later on Sunday proposed that 17 individuals were trapped approximately 200 meters down a tunnel stretching 700 meters. Throughout the day, however, the distressing statistics continued to fluctuate, casting doubts on the exact fatality toll of the calamity.
Mohammad Ali Akhoundi, a provincial emergency official, announced Sunday afternoon that the death count had risen to a minimum of 34. Meanwhile, vigorous rescue attempts continued in order to help those presumably trapped in the mine.
Rescuers and survivors from the mishap painted a bleak picture of the chaotic aftermath of the explosion. Officials traced the cause of the blast back to a methane gas leakage. Although gases like methane are a common sight within mining activities, contemporary safety measures call for proper ventilation and precautions to guard workers.
It remains unclear about what safety norms were in effect at the privately-owned Mandanjoo Co., which ran the Tabas Parvadeh 5 mine.
Reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian issued orders to prioritize the rescue of any trapped individuals and provide aid for their families. He also initiated an investigation into the cause of the explosion. However, the Iranian mining sector is no stranger to fatal accidents. Insufficient safety measures and poor emergency response mechanisms have often been cited as the prime causes behind such tragic incidents.
The Senate Energy and Commerce Committee is also launching an investigation into the blackouts and now hearing from state officials, specifically legislators from Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Oregon, and Ohio.