In the past six months alone, Iran has witnessed 20 mining accidents, resulting in at least 60 deaths. According to the latest figures, the Tabas coal mine disaster alone claimed the lives of over 50 workers and left 20 others injured.
However, these numbers only tell part of the story. Many incidents in Iran’s mining industry go unreported, and the true scope of the danger remains largely hidden. While mining has always been a hazardous occupation, accidents have increased significantly since the 2000s.
Experts cite outdated equipment as a major factor behind the rise in mining accidents. In the case of the recent Tabas disaster, many believe that the employer’s failure to adhere to safety protocols and to heed previous warnings played a critical role in the tragedy.
Despite the severity of the incident, no organization or authority has taken direct responsibility. Government officials have issued contradictory statements, with Ahmad Meydari, the Minister of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare, denying claims from labor unions that safety guidelines were violated. “There was no violation, and this was simply an unfortunate accident,” he stated.
The tragic impact of these accidents is most evident in the stories of the families left behind. One grieving relative, in an interview with Shargh newspaper, shared a harrowing account: “Write down what they did to us. We had to pay 15 to 20 million tomans to transport our loved ones’ bodies home, with no access to a morgue. They gave us just a few pieces of ice to preserve the bodies.”
These personal stories highlight the broader suffering endured by Iran’s mining workers and their families.
According to the Iranian Statistical Center, over 134,000 people are employed in Iran’s mining sector as of 2022. Despite this, a significant portion of these workers do not receive hard labor insurance, and many earn less than the legal minimum wage.
State-run media reports that some miners earn as little as 8.5 million tomans per month (approximately $142), well below the minimum wage. Following the Tabas disaster, state-run outlets released last year’s salary slips of the miners. Incredibly, these workers, laboring under extreme conditions, had net monthly incomes ranging from 7.4 to 9.9 million tomans ($123 to $165).
The lack of updated safety protocols, aging equipment, and widespread mismanagement have all contributed to the increase in mining accidents in Iran. A review of mining disasters over the past two decades shows that many could have been prevented.
Declaring Three Days of National Mourning for the Tragic Deaths of Over 50 Miners in Tabas #Iran
In the mullahs’ anti-worker regime, the lives and safety of laborers are treated with indifference, sparking neither concern nor accountability.
Tragedies and heart-wrenching scenes… pic.twitter.com/2xSDUDtfwM— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) September 22, 2024
Between 2010 and 2019, more than 3,000 accidents occurred in Iranian mines, injuring over 13,000 workers and claiming the lives of more than 430 miners. In the first half of 2024 alone, 20 mining-related accidents were reported by ILNA, further highlighting the dangerous state of the industry.
One of the most infamous mining disasters in Iran occurred at the Yurt coal mine in May 2017. A devastating explosion trapped workers at a depth of 1,300 meters, leading to the deaths of 42 miners and engineers. Another tragic incident in the Tabas region in November 2012 killed four miners after warnings about inadequate ventilation and gas build-up were ignored.
Mining accidents in Iran are not confined to recent years. In 2010, a tunnel collapse in the “Ashkali Hajdak” mine in Kerman claimed five lives, with the bodies of two victims only being recovered after 114 days. In March 2009, a gas explosion at a mine in Zarand killed 12 workers.
These tragedies underline a pervasive problem in Iran’s mining sector: outdated methods, insufficient labor inspections, and poor safety standards.
Despite these challenges, Iran remains one of the world’s largest countries in terms of mineral reserves. With 68 different types of minerals, 37 billion tons of discovered reserves, and 57 billion tons of potential reserves, Iran’s mining sector plays a vital role in its economy. In 2023, mineral exports were valued at $13.7 billion.
Yet, mining contributes just two percent to Iran’s GDP, with the majority of mines owned by quasi-governmental entities that are more concerned with securing government rents than improving productivity or technology.
In 1979, Iran had around 195 active mines, with an extraction capacity of 19.5 million tons. Today, the situation is far more complex. The establishment of Iranian Mines & Mining Industries Development & Renovation (IMIDRO) post-revolution solidified government control over the sector, and recent reports show a decline in active mines, from 6,250 units to 5,761 in 2022. Despite this, officials claim that 12,000 mining licenses have been issued, and there are around 8,000 active mines in operation.
The high number of accidents in Iran’s mines is largely due to the regime’s focus on exploiting impoverished workers and prioritizing the interests of regime-affiliated entities. As a result, mine safety is not a priority.
