Eight killed in mine collapse in central Iran

TEHRAN,Dec.19(MNA) – Eight people were killed after a coal mine collapsed in the city of Tabas, in the central Iranian Yazd Province, on Tuesday, Iran’s Forensic Medicine Organization told the Persian service of the Mehr News Agency. The incident took place at about 9:00 a.m. Speaking to the Mehr News Agency, Mahmoud Mozaffar, a senior official at the Iranian Red Crescent Society, said, “After the incident was reported, eight rescue workers expert in mine rescue operations were dispatched to the scene of the incident with an ambulance and rescue equipment.” According to the report, rescue teams retrieved the body of one of the miners who was identified as Ali Mehdizadeh. The cause of the collapse is being investigated. There is a possibility that the mine may have collapsed due to a gas explosion. No further detail of the incident was available until the Tehran Times press time.