Death toll from a coal mine explosion in Iran rises to 50

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran state TV says the death toll from an explosion at a coal mine in eastern Iran rose to 50 after one of the miners injured in the weekend blast died in hospital. A methane gas leak sparked an explosion on Saturday at the mine in Tabas, southeast of the capital, Tehran. Such gases are common in mining, though modern safety measures call for ventilation and other measures to protect workers. Iranian state TV said out of the 17 injured miners, nine were hospitalized, one of whom died on Wednesday. The bodies of 49 workers who were killed in the blast have been recovered. There were 66 miners at work at the time of the explosion.