At least 51 miners were killed and 17 injured following a gas explosion at a coal mine in South Khorasan province, Iran, while 24 workers remain missing, Iranian state media reported.
The methane explosion occurred in two tunnels of the Madanjoo company’s coal mine, where 69 miners were working at the time of the incident, according to Iranian state television.
The explosion took place at around 9 p.m. local time on Monday. Seventeen injured workers have been taken to hospital, while rescue teams continue to search for the 24 missing miners, said the head of the Iranian Red Crescent.
Iran’s President, Masoud Pezeshkian, extended his condolences to the victims’ families and assured the public that the government is doing everything possible to manage the crisis. “I have spoken with ministers, and we will do our best to address the situation,” Pezeskian said in a televised statement.
