26 bodies recovered from Iran mine
05 May 2017- Rescuers have retrieved at least 26 bodies from a mine which collapsed on Wednesday following an explosion in the northeastern province of Golestan, chief of Iran’s Emergency Department said.
On Thursday night, Pir-Hossein Kolivand said that four more bodies were recovered from the ‘Zemestan-Yurt’ mine, bringing the death toll to 26, iribnews.ir reported.
He added that 73 other workers have been injured in the incident.
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei expressed condolences over the incident, calling for immediate measures to save the potential survivors.
“The heart-wrenching and catastrophic mine incident in Golestan [Province] which led to the death of a group of hardworking workers and the trapping of a group of the dear ones has caused me sorrow and bereavement,” the Leader said in a Thursday message.
“It is necessary that all the possible measures be taken to rescue those trapped,” it added.
Ayatollah Khamenei extended condolences to the families of the victims and wished them patience and serenity.
In a separate statement, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani expressed condolences to the Iranian nation and the families of the victims of the Wednesday incident, ordering all the relevant bodies to mobilize all forces to accelerate the rescue operation for those under the debris.
The first vice president has been tasked with dealing with the problems of the bereaved families and compensating them for their losses, while a delegation headed by two cabinet ministers has been dispatched to the area, Rouhani said.
Deputy Governor General of Golestan Province Ali Asghar Tahmasebi said Rouhani is scheduled to visit the site of the deadly explosion on May 7, IRNA reported.
The blast occurred at midday on Wednesday at a depth of 1,200 meters in the coal mine. Officials say the explosion occurred after a locomotive stalled at a depth of 700 meters and the workers tried to jump-start the vehicle with an external battery. Electric sparks triggered the explosion in the tunnel filled with methane.
Three days of public mourning has been declared in the province, which lies along the Caspian Sea and borders Turkmenistan.
Iran uses most of the coal it mines in domestic steel production, exporting a relatively small amount.