Mohammad-Ali Akhondi, the director general of the provincial crisis management department, said on Sunday that the accident was caused by a methane gas explosion in two blocks of the mine on Saturday night.
At least 30 workers suffocated due to the rapid release of methane and carbon monoxide, he said, adding that the death toll is expected to rise as rescue operations are difficult to undertake because of conditions underground.
A speedy rescue operation is stressed upon, the official said, adding that “but the reality is that it is a difficult task to rescue the injured from a depth of 700 meters diagonally and 250 meters vertically underground.”
There were 69 workers in the blocks at the time of the explosion in the mine located in Tabas, a city in central eastern Iran.
President Pezeshkian orders probe
President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered an investigation into the incident, according to the head of his administration’s Information Council.
Elyas Hazrati said on Sunday that ministers of industry and labor have headed for Tabas to hold the necessary meetings and order required measures in the aftermath of the incident.
Interior Minister Eskandar Mo’meni is pursuing the issue as well, Hazrati said, adding that he himself has also held a phone conversation with the provincial governor to get the latest information about the situation at the blast site.
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