ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday extended his condolences to President Masoud Pezeshkian and the Iranian people after a coal mine blast killed more than 30 people in the country.
The gas explosion in a coal mine in Iran’s South Khorasan province killed at least 31 people and injured 16 others, according to Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni.
Seventeen miners were still missing as rescue teams were still 400 meters away from the likely location and were expected to reach it by Monday after removing rubble and excess gas.
In his message on X, Sharif extended condolences to President Pezeshkian and the Iranian people on the loss of precious lives.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families,” he said. “Pakistan stands with its Iranian brethren during this time.”
There were 69 workers present in blocks B and C at the time of the explosion at the privately-owned mine operated by the Madanjoo company, state TV reported.
“Seventy-six percent of the country’s coal is provided from this region and around 8 to 10 big companies are working in the region including Madanjoo company,” Ali Akbar Rahimi, governor of the South Khorasan province, told state TV on Sunday.
The mine went through inspections last month and complied with all safety regulations, Labour Minister Ahmad Meydari told state media, denying any case of negligence and adding that such “sudden events also happen in the most advanced mines globally.”
An investigation into the incident has been ordered by the country’s public prosecutor.
Pakistan PM extends condolences to Iran after coal mine blast kills over 30
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Pakistan PM extends condolences to Iran after coal mine blast kills over 30
- The explosion injured 16 people, while 17 miners were still missing and their fate remained unknown, Iran’s Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni said
- Rescue teams were still 400 meters away from the likely location and were expected to reach there by Monday after removing rubble and excess gas
Pakistan vaccinates over 44.3 million as last polio drive of 2025 enters final day
- Anti-polio drive is being conducted simultaneously in Pakistan and Afghanistan, say health authorities
- Pakistan has vaccinated over 22.9 million children in Punjab and 10.4 million in Sindh provinces
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani health volunteers have vaccinated a total of 44.3 million children against the poliovirus disease in the last six days, health authorities said on Sunday as the nationwide drive against the disease enters its last day today.
The seven-day anti-polio campaign was launched on Dec. 15, targeting children under the age of five. It is being conducted simultaneously in Pakistan and Afghanistan, according to Pakistan’s National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) which oversees eradication efforts.
Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan are the only two countries where wild poliovirus transmission has never been interrupted, keeping global eradication efforts at risk. The virus, which can cause irreversible paralysis, has no cure and can only be prevented through repeated oral vaccination.
“Today is the final day of the last national polio campaign of 2025,” the NEOC said in a statement. “In six days, over 44.3 million children have been vaccinated.”
Giving a breakdown of the numbers, the EOC said approximately 22.9 million children have received polio drops in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province, over 10.4 million in Sindh, 7.1 million in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province and around 2.54 million children in Balochistan.
In Pakistan’s capital Islamabad, over 450,000 children received polio drops while in the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region, over 274,000 children have been vaccinated, the EOC said.
In Azad Jammu & Kashmir, over 714,000 children received polio drops.
Pakistan has logged 30 polio cases so far in 2025, underscoring the fragility of progress against the virus. The country recorded 74 cases in 2024, a sharp rise from six cases in 2023, reflecting setbacks caused by vaccine hesitancy, misinformation and access challenges in high-risk areas.
Health officials say insecurity remains a major obstacle. Polio workers and their security escorts have repeatedly been targeted in militant attacks, particularly in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, complicating efforts to reach every child.
Natural disasters, including flooding, have further disrupted vaccination campaigns in recent years.
“Parents and communities are urged to welcome polio workers at their doorsteps,” the EOC said.
