A tragic explosion at a coal mine in Tabas, located in Iran’s South Khorasan province, has claimed the lives of at least 51 workers, with over 20 more injured. The explosion, caused by a methane gas leak, occurred around 9:00 PM local time on September 21, 2024. State media reports that nearly 70 workers were inside two blocks of the mine when the blast occurred, specifically in blocks B and C of the Madanjoo coal mine, one of the largest coal reserves in Iran.
Rescue operations are ongoing, with several workers still missing and feared trapped inside the mine. Emergency crews are struggling with high methane levels, which have complicated efforts to access deeper parts of the mine. Iranian authorities have launched an investigation into the incident, with local officials citing potential negligence as a factor.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed his condolences to the victims’ families and assured that the government would do its best to rescue the remaining workers and provide aid to the affected families. This disaster follows a series of mining accidents in Iran over the past decade, where concerns about safety regulations and emergency preparedness have been raised repeatedly.
The Tabas coal mine explosion is among the deadliest mining accidents in the country’s recent history, echoing similar incidents in 2017 and 2013 that resulted in significant loss of life(