Workers are dying.
Workers are dying. The bodies of 18 other workers in Block C of the coal mine need to be removed, as rescuers have not been able to enter Block C of the mine due to high levels of methane gas. Coal mine accidents are devastating for operations and miners’ lives. Methane and other flammable or toxic gases are a reality of life and death in coal mines.
Gas explosions are the most common cause of these disasters. Methane explosions can ignite stronger coal dust explosions. Coal dust can easily ignite or catch fire. In each of the coal mine accidents, miners are trapped and killed due to fire, smoke filling the chamber, or suffocation from inhaling gas without any explosion.
The collapse of coal ceilings or walls traps miners. Some of the worst conditions resulting from mine disasters include mine collapses, workers drowning, and the failure of wastewater and waste retention dams, causing pollution of toxic liquid mine waste downstream and in the environment. Coal mine explosions result in the highest casualties in mining operations.
There are two main types of coal mine explosions: methane and coal dust. A methane explosion occurs when a buildup of methane gas comes into contact with a heat source and there is not enough air to dilute the gas below its explosion point. Similarly, fine coal dust particles in the appropriate concentration that come into contact with a heat source can also cause an explosion. Hybrid explosions composed of a combination of methane and coal dust are also possible. Methane is a byproduct of coal and is released when coal absorbs it and is then freed during coal extraction or escapes from surrounding sources through fractures created during the coal extraction process.
At 19:30 on Monday, 12 Shahrivar 1402, an explosion caused by a gas accumulation in one of the tunnels of Alborz Sharqi coal mine resulted in the death of six miners in the Tazareh Damghan coal mine explosion. This incident once again drew attention to the safety of these mines and, in general, this type of mining in the country. Gas is transported out of the mine through plastic pipe ducts during work hours using picks by the workers.
The gas remaining in the air inside the tunnel ignited by the accumulation of gas and a spark from the peak activity explosion in the mine. Two locomotive drivers who were loading coal below and a worker under the extraction workshop bunker, along with three mine workers, were trapped under the rubble. This is the second deadly incident in this mine in the past two years.
Two years ago, two mine workers were killed on April 13, 2017. Around 80 workers were working in the coal mines of Yurt Winter at a depth of 1000 meters when methane gas accumulated in one of the workshops exploded due to a battery spark from the locomotive inside the mine, causing the mine walls to collapse. The first message from the rescuers who arrived at the scene to save the workers was that due to the high concentration of carbon monoxide and smoke from the explosion, all workers trapped inside the mine were killed. A week later, the death toll rose to 43, with two workers buried under the mine rubble, 10 thrown off by the explosion shockwave, and 31 suffocated by carbon monoxide gas.
Iran’s proven coal reserves are estimated to be around 11 billion tons. The main consumption of coal in Iran is primarily for steel production factories that use the blast furnace method. Iran’s major coal discoveries date back to decades ago, with coal layers in Iran located at depths of 100 to 300 meters and with thicknesses of 50 to 100 centimeters. Due to the high methane gas content, there is a high risk of explosion in these mines, which increases ventilation costs. Coal production in the country is carried out using traditional extraction methods and outdated equipment and machinery, which reduces the efficiency of the workforce due to the use of outdated technologies.
