Iran mine disaster among world's deadliest in a decade

A selection of the deadliest mining disasters worldwide over the past decade (an explosion at a coal mine in eastern Iran has claimed at least 51 lives; ranked by death toll):

301 dead – May 13, 2014, Turkey

– An explosion at a coal mine in the western Turkish town of Soma claimed 301 lives. It was the worst disaster in the history of Turkish mining and one of the worst in modern history. The explosion and subsequent fire at the coal mine caused most of the victims to suffocate. Nearly 800 people were underground at the time of the explosion, and 486 were rescued.

270 dead – January 25, 2019, Brazil

– The failure of a mine tailings dam near the town of Brumadinho in Brazil's Minas Gerais state claimed 270 lives. Water and mud flooded a vast area, including the mine's administrative facilities and part of the nearby Vila Ferteco community. The Brazilian government subsequently ordered all tailings dams in the country built using the same method to be closed within two years.

175 dead – July 2, 2020, Myanmar

– A landslide caused by heavy rainfall at a jade mine in the Myanmar town of Hpakant claimed at least 175 lives.

60 dead – February 21, 2022, Burkina Faso

– At least 60 people died in an explosion at a gold mine in southwestern Burkina Faso, and more than 100 others were injured. The explosion was apparently caused by chemicals used to process gold that had been stored at the site.

At least 51 dead – September 21, 2024, Iran

– A methane explosion rocked a coal mine in Tabas, in Iran's South Khorasan province, about 540 kilometers southeast of Tehran. At least 51 miners died and around 20 others were injured. The disaster happened in the evening, when around 70 miners were underground, according to Iran's IRNA news agency.

51 dead – November 25, 2021, Russia

– An explosion at a coal mine in Russia's Kemerovo region in Siberia killed 51 people, including several rescuers.

46 dead – October 28, 2023, Kazakhstan

– Forty-six miners died in a fire at a coal mine near the city of Karaganda in Kazakhstan. The mine's owner, the Kazakhstan subsidiary of Luxembourg-based global company ArcelorMittal, said the fire was likely caused by a methane explosion.

42 dead – May 3, 2017, Iran

– An explosion at a coal mine near the northern Iranian city of Azadshahr killed 42 miners. The explosion occurred as miners were trying to start the engine of one of the mine carts.

41 dead – October 14, 2022, Turkey

– A gas explosion at a state-run coal mine in the town of Amasra, in the northern Turkish coastal province of Bartın, killed 41 miners and injured more than ten. After the disaster, 24 people were detained, including managers and other mine executives, who are facing charges of negligent endangerment.