2 hours ago
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A deadly explosion at a coal mine workshop in Tabas, eastern Iran, has claimed the lives of at least 30 people, according to the governor of South Khorasan. The death toll is expected to rise as rescue efforts continue.
Reports indicate that 22 individuals are still missing. Authorities are bracing for the possibility of more victims as the full scale of the disaster becomes clearer.
The accident was caused by a methane gas explosion in two blocks of the mine run by the Madanjoo company, state TV said. There were 69 workers in the blocks at the time of the explosion, it said.
"Seventeen injured people were transported to the hospital and 24 people are still missing," state TV said citing the head of Iran's Red Crescent.
On Sunday morning, Javad Ghana'at, the governor of South Khorasan Province, confirmed that the death toll from the coal mine explosion had risen to 30, with 17 others injured. The explosion, which occurred at around 9 p.m. on Saturday, was initially reported by Iranian media to have claimed one life, with rescue teams unable to reach other trapped workers. The blast impacted two sections of the mine, where 22 workers were in Block B and 47 in Block C at the time of the incident.
Experts speaking to Iran International television explained that equipment in Iranian mines are sometimes defective, old or unsuitable to deal with potential dangers. Oxygen tanks are often not filled completely and devices to measure danger gases sometimes do not function.
