The Iranian Relief Organization announced today, Sunday, that 30 people were killed and 12 others were injured in a coal mine explosion in southern Khorasan Province, according to what the official Iranian News Agency (IRNA) reported today, Sunday.

Iranian sources initially reported 19 dead and 17 injured, before raising the death toll to 30 due to the explosion that occurred late Saturday.

The Iranian authority issued two statements saying that an explosion occurred in the late night hours in a coal mine in South Khorasan Province, injuring dozens and leaving others missing.

It added that 8 teams from the Red Crescent Society of South Khorasan Province were sent to the scene of the accident.

According to initial investigations, the explosion occurred as a result of a methane gas leak in one of the mine tunnels.

The director of the province's crisis management department, Mohammad Ali Akhoundi, said that due to the depth of the accident and explosion site, there is a possibility of an increase in the number of victims, as the mine at the time of the explosion contained no less than 69 workers, who were present in blocks C and B of the Tabas mine.

Okhandi pointed out the possibility of an increase in the number of deaths in the mine, noting that a crisis management meeting was held in the presence of the governor of South Khorasan at the accident site, and necessary decisions were taken in this regard and orders were issued to follow up on the incident more quickly and inform the families of the accident victims, according to what was reported by the Mehr News Agency.