Gas explosion in Iran mine kills 34 workers

An explosion caused by a gas leak at a coal mine in eastern Iran has killed at least 34 people, state media said.

More than 20 others were injured after the blast in South Khorasan province.

It is reported to have been caused by a methane gas explosion in two blocks of the mine in Tabas, 540 km southeast of the capital Tehran..

South Khorasan's governor Javad Ghenaatzadeh said there were 69 workers in the blocks at the time of the explosion.

He said: "There was an explosion and unfortunately 69 people were working in the B and C blocks of Madanjoo mine.”

"In block C there were 22 people and in block B there were 47 people."

It remains unclear how many people are still alive and trapped inside the mine.

Citing the head of Iran's Red Crescent, state TV said earlier that 24 people were missing.

Iranian 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.

The Tabas mine covers an area of more than 30,000 square kilometers  and holds mass reserves of coking and thermal coal.

It is considered the richest and largest coal area in Iran.

Last year, an explosion at a coal mine in the northern city of Damghan killed six people, also likely the result of methane leak according to local media.

In May 2021, two miners died in a collapse at the same site, local media reported at the time.

A blast in 2017 killed 43 miners in Azad Shahr city in northern Iran, triggering anger towards Iranian authorities.

Iran has seen a major surge in mining activities in recent years amid a government push to diversify the economy away from oil revenues.

The policy has allowed authorities and private businesses to revive old mines and open new ones across Iran, leading to tens of thousands of new jobs for the country’s youth population.