A coal mine explosion in Iran left at least 38 dead and 14 others missing as rescue operations continued this week.
A sudden methane gas leak triggered the explosion at the coal mine in Tabas, located about 335 miles southeast of Tehran, on Saturday night. By Sunday, grieving miners stood by, watching as mine cars brought up the coal dust-covered bodies of their colleagues.
At least 14 others were still missing as of Monday morning, officials in Iran said. Iranian state-run news agency IRNA reported the updated death toll following the explosion.
Survivors, their faces still streaked with coal dust, recounted the chaos following the explosion in interviews with Iranian state television.
“We were in the mine, working. Suddenly, there was some smoke rising…then I noticed I had difficulty breathing,” one miner, who was not identified by state TV, said. “I jumped off from the workshop, and I scrambled until …