Publish Date: 8 May 2017 - 13:06

TEHRAN, May 08 (MNA) – Head of Golestan province's emergency services has reported on discovery of 13 new bodies in Zemestanyurt coal mine in northern Iran.

Sadeghali Moghaddam said the rescue team managed to recover bodies of 13 more miners on Monday at 01:30 a.m. in debris of Zemestanyurt mine situated Azadshahr in the northern Iranian province of Golestan.

“Through a sub-tunnel, the rescue team had reached the loading areas where the blast had taken place and recovered the bodies,” he underlined.

He however noted that rubble collection and rescue operation had not ended and were being followed up; “rescue forces are now preparing dead bodies to be transferred out of the mine.”

The official recalled that bodies of 22 other miners had been previously discovered and delivered to their families.

Moghaddam underscored that the operation would continue until the rescue team reaches the end of the tunnel since no accurate statistics are available on the number of workers trapped in the tunnel.

A blast occurred in Zemestanyurt coal mine in Golestan Province on Wednesday May 03 and killed at least 35 workers and injured scores of others. So far, bodies of 35 workers have been recovered and rescue missions are still underway to determine the fate of other miners who might be still trapped.

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