At least 34 people were killed and 20 more injured in an explosion in a coal mine in eastern Iran. According to Iranian state media, the accident occurred in a mine in the province of South Khorasan. Governor Javad Ghenaat stated that leaking methane gas caused an explosion in two tunnels of the mine on Saturday evening.

Around 70 miners are thought to have been in the mine at the time of the explosion. Rescue workers are searching for other victims. According to the IRNA news agency, however, the rescue and search operations in the Tabas coal mine have been hampered by the build-up of gas.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian offered his condolences to the families of the victims. In a televised statement, he said that every effort would be made to rescue the trapped workers. An investigation has also been launched into the cause of the accident. A prosecutor said that the ‘negligence and mistakes’ of those responsible would be investigated, according to IRNA.

Almost two million tonnes of coal are mined in Iran every year. In recent years, there have been repeated serious accidents with fatalities. In 2017, 42 people were killed in an explosion in a coal mine.