Mine explosion in Iran kills at least 30 and triggers desperate rescue attempt for survivors

Around 30 people died and 17 people were injured in the blast at a coal mine in Tabas, some 335 miles southeast of Tehran. It is estimated that 24 miners are trapped inside

A major explosion at a coal mine in Iran has killed at least 30 people, sparking a desperate rescue attempt for survivors.

Iranian state media reported that around 17 people were injured in the blast and 24 miners are thought to be trapped inside the coal mine in Tabas, some 540km (335 miles) southeast of the capital, Tehran. Authorities were sending emergency personnel to the area after the blast late Saturday, it said.

Around 70 people had been working there at the time of the blast. Provincial Governor Mohammad Javad Qenaat told state TV that 30 miners had been killed and 17 injured.

Iran's new reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian, preparing to travel to New York for the United Nations General Assembly, said he ordered all efforts be made to rescue those trapped and aid their families. He also said an investigation into the incident had begun.

Oil-producing Iran is also rich in a variety of minerals. Iran annually consumes some 3.5 million tons of coal but only extracts about 1.8 million tons from its mines per year. The rest is imported, often consumed in the country's steel mills.

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