Tehran [Iran], September 26: The bodies of the last missing miners have been recovered after the coal mine explosion in Iran at the weekend.
Rescue teams ended their work on Wednesday after more than 80 hours of tireless efforts, said Javad Ghanaat, governor of the province of South Khorasan, according to the state news agency IRNA.
A total of 49 miners were killed and 16 were injured, he said. State media reported that the accident occurred in the coal mine in the city of Tabas on Saturday evening at around 9pm (1730 GMT).
A sudden release of methane gas trapped 65 workers in the mine.
Exactly how the accident occurred is unknown. Methane is present in coal seams and can be released by mining.
Government officials said the international sanctions in place against Iran impede the import of modern mining equipment and warning systems. (DPA)
Source: Qatar Tribune
