TEHRAN: At least seven people were killed in a gas leak at a coal mine in the northern Iranian province of Semnan, east of the capital Tehran, Iranian media reported on Monday.

The incident occurred in the province’s city of Damghan but the reason behind the gas leak is unclear, Mehr news agency said.

The bodies of seven people have been retrieved from the mine, the news agency said, adding that the death toll could rise as reports indicated others were still trapped inside the mine.

Mineral-rich Iran has around 1.5 billion tonnes of proven coal reserves, and deadly incidents in coal mines are not unusual.

Last September, more than 50 people were killed in a coal mine blast in Tabas, in the eastern province of South Khorasan, prompting the authorities to announce three days of public mourning.

In 2023, an explosion at another coal mine in the city of Damghan killed six people.

A blast in 2017 killed 43 miners in Azad Shahr city in northern Iran, triggering a wave of anger towards the authorities.

Published in Dawn, April 8th, 2025