Nine miners died from burns or suffocation following a gas explosion at a coal mine in the southeastern Kerman province, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported Wednesday. Tuesday's blast in the town of Zarand, 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) southeast of the capital Tehran, was blamed on lack of safety precautions, the agency said, quoting a local official. The report did not say whether there were injuries. The coal mine, run by a private company, employs 120 workers. Kerman province is a major coal-producing region in Iran.
