TEHRAN, Iran — A methane leak triggered an explosion at a coal mine in eastern Iran, killing at least 19 people and injuring 17 more, Iranian state television reported on Sunday. Some miners are believed to be trapped.
The report said the deaths occurred at a coal mine in Tabas, about 540 kilometers (335 miles) southeast of the capital, Tehran.
Authorities sent rescue workers to the area after the explosion late Saturday, it said. About 70 people had been working there at the time of the explosion. It is still unclear how many remain in the mine.
Iran’s new reformist president Masoud Pezeshkian, who is preparing to travel to New York for the UN General Assembly, said he ordered all efforts to rescue those trapped and help their families. He also said an investigation into the incident had been launched.
Oil-producing Iran is also rich in a variety of minerals. Iran annually consumes about 3.5 million tons of coal but extracts only about 1.8 million tons from its mines per year. The rest is imported, often consumed in the country’s steel mills.
This is not the first disaster to hit Iran’s mining industry. In 2013, 11 workers were killed in two separate mining incidents. In 2009, 20 workers were killed in several incidents. Year 2017, a coal mine explosion killed at least 42 people.
Lax safety standards and inadequate emergency services in mining areas are often blamed for the deaths.