Iran President Offers Condolences over Deadly Mine Blast
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani offered condolences on Thursday to families of the victims of a coal mine explosion in the northeastern province of Golestan, saying all administrative organizations have been ordered to accelerate rescue efforts and save the trapped workers.
In his message, President Rouhani said the tragic mine blast incident, which killed and injured a number of miners, has grieved the entire Iranian nation.
Rouhani said he has assigned First Vice-President Eshaq Jahangiri to do whatever necessary to relieve the pains of families of the victims, assess the magnitude of damages, and compensate victims of the incident.
Pointing to a delegation, comprised of the ministers of industry and labor, that was dispatched to the site of the incident as the first step, President Rouhani said all organizations should join hands to speed up the process of rescue operations.
In a separate message, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also expressed condolences to the labor community over the tragic incident.
Thirty-five coal miners died in ‘Zemestan-Yurt’ mine in Golestan Province after a gas explosion and raging fire on Wednesday. Twenty-five bodies have been retrieved from the mine so far.
The blast occurred at midday 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.
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei has also expressed deep sorrow over deaths of the miners, calling for all necessary measures to rescue those trapped underground.
