By Tuesday, authorities confirmed that the bodies of a truck driver and a loader operator had been recovered. Efforts to locate the remaining two workers are ongoing.
Rescue operations have faced significant challenges, as reported by the state-run ILNA news agency, due to the high risk of further collapses. To address potential social unrest, the regime’s Attorney General announced an expedited investigation and the detention of the mine owner.
A report by the state-run Etemad highlights systemic safety failures in Iran’s mining industry. Since late March, there have been seven mining accidents, resulting in eight deaths—a stark increase from the previous year. Experts blame these accidents on the pervasive disregard for safety protocols and proper mine design by contractors and operators, who prioritize cost savings over worker safety. The report states that neglecting safety standards has become the norm in both open-pit and underground mines across Iran.
The situation at Shazand worsened with a secondary collapse on Monday, captured on video, which further complicated rescue efforts and prompted the evacuation of the search area. The Iranian Red Crescent Society continues to lead rescue operations, despite significant difficulties.
#Iran News in Brief
An explosion in the Tazarah #coal mine in the northern part of Shahroud County, northern Semnan province, has caused a minimum of six deaths. Currently, there is no precise information available about the full extent of the casualties or the number of injured… pic.twitter.com/iIBIzZVvqN— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) September 4, 2023
Iran’s mining sector has a grim history of disasters. On September 4, 2023, an explosion at the Tazreh coal mine in Damghan killed six workers. In May 2017, the Zemestan-Yurt mine collapse claimed 43 lives, sparking widespread public outrage.
Observers cite inadequate oversight and enforcement of safety standards as primary causes of these frequent mining disasters. Ali Ziaee, head of the Crime Scene Investigation Group of the National Medical Organization, reported that 2,115 workers died and 27,000 were injured in workplace accidents last year. This equates to nearly six worker deaths per day, highlighting the dire state of occupational safety in Iran.
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