On Tuesday, December 11, a deadly accident at the Vanarch manganese mine in Qom claimed the life of one miner and left three others injured. The incident occurred over 300 meters below ground, reportedly due to a roof collapse caused by negligence in securing the mine ceiling. The tragedy is a grim reminder of recurring safety failures in Iran’s mining sector, where preventable disasters have become alarmingly common.
While emergency teams have rescued three injured workers, one remains in critical condition. Despite efforts to recover the deceased miner’s body within an hour, the preventable nature of the accident has drawn sharp criticism.
Hooman Hadian, an advisor to the regime’s Ministry of Industry, Mine, and Trade, admitted that basic safety precautions were ignored. “The operator was responsible for securing the mine ceiling to prevent collapses. Unfortunately, this negligence led to the incident,” he stated.
#Iran News:
Explosion at Khuzestan Stone Mine Injures Three Workershttps://t.co/z6m89EBRvR— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) October 12, 2024
Although officials claim the mine had passed safety inspections, this incident highlights systemic issues within Iran’s mining industry, including lax enforcement of regulations and outdated equipment. Reports indicate that similar conditions have led to disasters like the 2024 explosion in the Madanjou coal mine in Tabas, which claimed over 50 lives.
Workers and labor advocates have long warned about the dire safety conditions in Iran’s mines. Many argue that these tragedies reflect the regime’s prioritization of profit and military spending over worker welfare. The absence of robust safety protocols and suppression of labor unions leave miners vulnerable to life-threatening risks for meager wages.
This latest incident in Qom underscores the urgent need for systemic change to address Iran’s industrial safety crisis. Without accountability and reforms, the country’s mining sector remains a perilous trap for its workforce.
