Mine explosion in Iran kills at least 30 and triggers desperate rescue attempt for survivors

Around 30 people died and 17 people were injured in the blast at a coal mine in Tabas, some 335 miles southeast of Tehran. It is estimated that 24 miners were trapped inside

A major explosion at a coal mine in Iran has killed at least 30 people, sparking a desperate rescue attempt for survivors.

Iranian state media reported that around 17 people were injured in the blast and 24 miners were believed to be trapped inside the coal mine in Tabas, in the South Khorasan Province, located some 540km (335 miles) southeast of the capital, Tehran. State TV said 28 people were sent to hospital for treatment.

The report said authorities were sending emergency personnel to the area after the blast at around 9pm on Saturday. Around 70 people had been working at the mine at the time of the blast. Provincial Governor Mohammad Javad Qenaat told state TV that 30 miners had been killed and 17 injured.

Iran's new reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian, who had been preparing to travel to New York for the United Nations General Assembly, said he ordered all efforts be made to rescue those trapped and aid their families. He also said an investigation into the incident had begun.

He said in a televised statement: "I have spoken with the relevant ministers, and we will do everything in our power to address this tragedy." It is believed that the blast, triggered by a methane gas explosion, occurred in two sections of the mine operated by the Madanjoo company.

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

This is not the first disaster to strike Iran's mining industry. In 2013, 11 workers were killed in two separate mining incidents. In 2009, 20 workers were killed in several incidents. In 2017, a coal mine explosion killed at least 42 people. Lax safety standards and inadequate emergency services in mining areas are often blamed for the fatalities.