More than 50 miners were trapped after a huge explosion in a coal mine in northern Iran on Wednesday, and some were feared to have died, state media reported.
The reports said more than a dozen injured people had been transferred to hospital after the blast at 12:45 p.m. local time in the Zemestanyurt coal mine in Golestan province.
State news agency IRNA quoted a local official as saying some of the trapped miners may have died in the explosion. A rescue operation was under way.
Iran extracted 1.68 million tons of coal in 2016, an increase on previous years, thanks to an easing of international sanctions. It exports only a fraction of the coal and uses most of it in domestic steel production.More than a dozen injured people had been transferred to hospital after the blast in the Zemestanyurt coal mine in Golestan province, local media reported.
Some reports say that as many as 80 miners had been trapped in the explosion.Over 500 miners work at the Zemestanyurt coal mine, which lies 14 km of Azadshahr city, situated in 90 km east of Gorgan, the capital city of Golestan Province.
The cause of the explosion has not yet been determined.
A huge explosion took place in a coal mine in Azadshahr region in this northeastern province on Wednesday, said a provincial official.
Deputy Governor of Azadshahr told IRNA on a phone contact that aid workers have been dispatched to the site of the blast in Zemestanyurt coal mine. According to reports the blast was highly serious.
However, Gholam-Reza Qaazavi did not comment on the time and cause of the explosion or its possible casualties.
Meanwhile, one of the officials at the Azadshahr coal mine told IRNA that there is concerns over the health conditions of the miners as the explosion happened at the time of changing the shifts.
However, said Ali Nasiri, nothing is clear yet.
Over 500 miners work at Azadshahr coal mine, 14 km of Azadshahr city which situated in 90 km east of Gorgan, the capital city of Golestan Province.
However, Gholam-Reza Qaazavi did not comment on the time and cause of the explosion or its possible casualties.
Meanwhile, one of the officials at the Azadshahr coal mine told IRNA that there is concerns over the health conditions of the miners as the explosion happened at the time of changing the shifts.
However, said Ali Nasiri, nothing is clear yet.
Over 500 miners work at Azadshahr coal mine, 14 km of Azadshahr city which situated in 90 km east of Gorgan, the capital city of Golestan Province.
