The director general of crisis management in South Khorasan Province states that the miners still trapped inside the Tabas coal mine are also to be considered 'deceased.' While the governor of Razavi Khorasan announced that the bodies of 38 miners have been recovered from the Tabas coal mine, the crisis management of this province speaks of 49 deaths. These statements are made as the fate of 11 trapped miners remains uncertain, and efforts to reach them continue. Shortly after, Mohammad Ali Akhundi, the director general of crisis management for the province, reported the recovery of another trapped miner's body and stated that 10 others are still trapped. He assessed the location of the trapped miners as 'the most difficult site of the incident' and said, 'The conditions for debris removal and the progress of technical and rescue forces are currently good.' According to Mr. Akhundi, it is expected that if no unforeseen problems or incidents occur, the operation to recover the bodies of the other miners will be completed by late evening. Meanwhile, a judicial official has announced that safety violations in this mine were evident. Gholam Abbas Tourki, the deputy attorney general, stated late on Monday that a review of the labor department's records 'showed that some safety violations were evident.' This judicial official added, 'Warnings have been issued, but some safety violations have not been corrected.' These statements come a day after the Minister of Labor claimed that no violations occurred in this coal mine. Ahmad Midari, the Minister of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare, who visited the mine site, said at the crisis management meeting, 'According to our investigations, no violations occurred in the Tabas mine, and this incident was truly an accident.' The Ham-Mihan newspaper noted that these statements faced a wave of criticism, stating that such remarks stem from 'a misguided political approach to the concept of consensus' as they 'believe that if they assertively state that any potential violations will be addressed, such statements will be perceived as against the previous government.' Mohammad Hassan Nami, head of the National Crisis Management Organization, stated on Monday evening that with the reduction of gas density inside the mine, rescue operations have accelerated, and necessary actions to access the miners, 'such as preparing rails, returning derailed wagons, and repairing the electrical box,' have been undertaken. He expressed hope that access to these miners would be possible before 10 AM on Tuesday.
Crisis Management in South Khorasan: 11 Trapped Miners in Tabas Should Be Considered 'Deceased'
The crisis management director in South Khorasan has declared that 11 miners trapped in the Tabas coal mine should be considered deceased, as recovery efforts continue. While local officials report differing death tolls, safety violations at the mine have been highlighted amidst conflicting statements from government officials. This incident raises serious concerns about mining safety regulations in Iran.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
In the Tabas coal mine, 11 miners are currently trapped and have been declared deceased by local crisis management officials. Recovery efforts are ongoing, but there are conflicting reports about the number of fatalities and safety violations at the mine.
- 38 bodies have been recovered, but the total death toll is disputed.
- Safety violations at the mine have been acknowledged by some officials, contradicting the government's earlier claims.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Mining accidents are not uncommon in Iran, often linked to inadequate safety measures and regulatory oversight.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 85%