Iran: At least 30 killed and 17 injured in mine gas explosion

(Patria) - Methane leakage caused an explosion in a coal mine in eastern Iran, killing at least 30 people and injuring 17, Iranian state media reported today.

It is believed that another 24 miners are trapped in the rubble of the mine shaft.

The report states that the fatalities occurred in the coal mine in Tabas, about 540 kilometers southeast of the capital, Tehran.

Authorities have dispatched emergency personnel to the area, according to a statement.

About 70 people were working at the time of the explosion. State television later said that 24 miners are believed to remain trapped in the shaft.

Governor of the province, Mohammad Javad Kenat, told state television that 30 miners were killed and 17 injured.

New Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who is preparing to travel to New York for the United Nations General Assembly, said he has ordered all efforts to be made to rescue the remaining miners and assist their families.

He added that an investigation into the incident has begun.

Iran consumes about 3.5 million tons of coal annually, but extracts only about 1.8 million tons from its mines each year.

This is not the first disaster to hit Iran's mining industry.

In 2013, 11 workers were killed in two separate mining incidents. In 2009, 20 workers were killed in several incidents.

An explosion at a coal mine in 2017 killed at least 42 people.

Poor safety standards and inadequate emergency services in mining areas are often blamed for the fatalities.