TEHRAN: A coal mine collapsed in centralIranon Tuesday, leaving four miners dead and another four missing, Iranian media reported, quoting officials.
The probable cause was an "explosion of accumulated dangerous gas" in the mine near the city of Tabas, its governorAhmad Talebian Moqadamtold Fars news agency.
Officials said the collapse occurred at about 9:00 am (0530 GMT) and that it had blocked the main entrance to the tunnel of the mine, which employed 40 workers.
Tabas is located 555 kilometres (345 miles) southeast of Tehran.