A methane leak sparked an explosion at a coal mine in eastern Iran, killing at least 28 people and injuring others, Iranian state television reported on Sunday.
“Seventeen injured people were transported to the hospital and 24 people are still missing,” state TV also said, citing the head of Iran’s Red Crescent.
The report said the deaths happened at a coal mine in Tabas, 335 miles southeast of the capital, Tehran.
Authorities were sending emergency personnel to the area after the blast late on Saturday, it said.
The accident was caused by a methane gas explosion in blocks B and C of the mine run by the Madanjoo company, state TV said.