Pope Francis offered his condolences to the victims of a coal mine explosion in eastern Iraq on Saturday night, marking one of the worst mining disasters in the country’s history.
In a telegram signed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Cardinal Secretary of State, the Holy Father assured his prayers for those who have died, as well as their grieving families.
“Likewise expressing his spiritual solidarity with the wounded, His Holiness invokes upon all affected by this tragedy the Almighty’s blessing of strength, consolation, and peace,” the telegram stated.
The disaster happened in a privately owned coal mine in Tabas, about 540 kilometers southeast of Iran’s capital Tehran.
When the explosion took place at 9:00 pm local time, 69 workers were present inside the coal mine.
As of Wednesday, the Iranian state television reported the death toll at 50. 49 workers died on-site, while one passed away in the hospital.
A methane gas leak was believed to have caused the blast, a gas commonly used in mining but requires proper ventilation.
Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered an investigation into the explosion.
"I also requested to take measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents by improving work standards in the country's mines,” said the president in a statement.
Iran, which consumes around 3.5 million tons of coal, has faced various mining disasters in recent years.
A coal mine explosion in 2017 killed at least 42, while 11 workers died in two separate mining incidents in 2013.
In 2009, several mining incidents claimed the lives of 20 people.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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