“Blamed on Loose Safety Standards and Inadequate Emergency Services”,
An explosion occurred due to methane leakage at an Iranian mine. (The photo is not directly related to the article.) / Photo = Yonhap News Data,
, ‘An explosion due to methane leakage occurred at a coal mine in eastern Iran on the 21st (local time), killing at least 30 people, injuring 17, and trapping 24, according to AP citing Iranian state media on the 22nd.’,
,
, ‘The mine is located in Tabas, a city about 540 km from the capital Tehran, where about 70 people were working at the time of the explosion.’,
,
, ‘Immediately after the explosion, local authorities dispatched ambulances to the scene.’,
,
, ‘Iranian President Mahmoud Pejeshkian has ordered all efforts to rescue miners trapped in the mine, and investigations into the explosion have also begun.’,
,
, ‘Iran is not only a producer of oil but also a country rich in various minerals, consuming about 3.5 million tons of coal annually, mining 1.8 million tons domestically and importing the rest.’,
,
, ‘Such incidents have not been uncommon in Iran’s mining industry.’,
,
, ‘In 2017, at least 42 people died in an explosion at a coal mine, and in 2013 and 2009, more than 30 people lost their lives in multiple accidents.’,
,
, ‘AP reported that the incidents were attributed to lax safety standards and insufficient emergency services in mining areas.’,
,