Death toll in Iran’s coal mine explosion rises to 49, all remaining workers presumed dead

Bodies which have been recovered by the Iranian administration have shown no sign of blast injuries which is conclusive to prove that workers died ahead of the blast by gas leak.

In this photo released on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, by Iranian Interior Ministry, miners stand at the site of a coal mine where methane leak sparked an explosion on Saturday, in Tabas, some 335 miles (540 kilometers) southeast of the capital Tehran, Iran. (Iranian Interior Ministry via AP)

In one of Iran’s worst industrial disasters, the country has announced that it believes the workers who were trapped at a coal mine in the country’s east after an explosion have died and the death toll from the incident has risen to 49.

According to a report carried by Iranian state television from the mine in Tabas by emergency provincial official Mohammad Ali Akhoundi, the death toll remains at 49.

The incident took place in a mine in Tabas, around 540 kilometers southeast of the capital, Tehran. The exact figures of the number of workers in the mine at the time of the incident has fluctuated. A methane gas leak on Saturday led to the explosion in the mine.

In this photo released by Iranian Red Crescent Society, miners and police officers gather around the site of a coal mine where methane leak sparked an explosion on Saturday, in Tabas, some 335 miles (540 kilometers) southeast of the capital Tehran, Iran, Sunday. (AP Photo)

According to news agency Associated Press, 70 people had been working in the mine at the time of the blast. Bodies which have been recovered by the Iranian administration have shown no sign of blast injuries which is conclusive to prove that workers died ahead of the blast by gas leak.

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The governor of South Khorasan Province Ali Akbar Rahimi told state TV on Sunday that “76% of the country’s coal is provided from this region and around 8 to 10 big companies are working in the region including Madanjoo company.”

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and said, “I spoke with ministers and we will do our best to follow up.”

It was not clear as to what all safety measures were present inside the privately held Tabas Parvadeh 5 mine, operated by Mandanjoo Co.

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