Iranwire – The owner of a mine in Iran’s central Shazand has been arrested following a collapse on Sunday that killed one worker and left three others trapped.
Mehdi Hashtverdi, the General and Revolutionary Prosecutor for Shazand, said a judicial order was issued for the mine owner’s arrest due to “unprincipled actions that led to the collapse of the mine.”
The incident occurred around 10 am on Sunday when part of the mine collapsed along the Arak-Toreh road.
Four workers operating mining machinery, including two dump truck drivers and two excavator operators, were buried under the debris.
One worker died in the collapse, while three remained trapped as of Sunday evening.
Search and rescue dogs were deployed to assist in efforts to locate and extract the missing workers amid a high volume of fallen stones and rubble.
Prosecutor Hashtverdi said resources from surrounding mines were ordered to aid in debris removal and rescue operations.
The provincial government has also requested assistance from nearby cities.
The cause of the mine collapse is still under investigation.
However, Farzad Mokhles Al-Aimeh, the governor of Markazi province where Shazand is located, said initial reports indicate an explosion operation may have triggered the deadly incident.