Iran Coal Mine Explosion Leaves 2 Dead, Dozens Trapped

Rescuers were working to free those trapped inside the Zemestanyurt mine in the Golestan province in northern Iran after the blast happened at 12:45 p.m. local time, The Associated Press reported. A buildup of gas inside the mine resulted in some rescue personnel being taken to the hospital after inhaling the gas.

"I carried two out of the mine," one miner told Iran state television, the AP reported. "It is not possible to go inside again. Oxygen tanks should be brought."

Some who were trapped in the mine are feared dead, Reuters reported. The mine employs more than 500 miners, and the explosion was said to have happened during the shift change.

The Red Crescent is helping survivors, and news agencies have broadcast photos and videos of dazed, dust-covered survivors near the mine’s opening, Metro UK reported. Ambulances, helicopters and other rescue personnel were present at the scene.

Iran extracts about 1 million tons of coal from its mines each year, using most of it in its steel mills, the AP reported. It also imports another 1.5 tons of coal from other countries. Other mining incidents in 2013 and 2009 resulted in 31 miners’ deaths, with safety standards suspected to be subpar and emergency services inadequate in mining regions.

Iran has started to renovate some of its coal mines since making a nuclear deal with world powers, but has not completed all the renovations, the AP reported.

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