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Death toll from Iran mine blast rises to 51

It was a methane gas explosion in two blocks of the mine and 69 workers were there at the time

Published: Sun 22 Sep 2024, 10:46 AM

Updated: Sun 22 Sep 2024, 1:04 PM

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  • Reuters

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Photo: AP file used for illustrative purposes

Photo: AP file used for illustrative purposes

Death toll from a gas explosion in a coal mine in Iran's South Khorasan Province rose to 51 people, state television said on Sunday.

"The number of dead workers increased to 51 and the number of injured increased to 20" in the explosion at the Tabas mine, the official IRNA news agency reported.

The accident was caused by a methane gas explosion blocks B and C of the mine run by the Madanjoo company, state media said.

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"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," the governor of South Khorasan Province Ali Akbar Rahimi told state TV on Sunday.

The rescue operation in block B has been completed. Of the 47 workers who were in the block 30 died and 17 were injured, Rahimi said earlier.

Rescue operations in block C have started. Methane density in the block is high and the operation will take around 3-4 hours, he added.

There were 69 workers in the blocks at the time of the explosion, state TV reported.

The explosion occurred at 9pm (5.30pm GMT) on Saturday, state media said.

President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed condolences to the victims' families. "I spoke with ministers and we will do our best to follow up," Pezeshkian said in televised comments.

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