Normangee Star, 5, 8, 2017 – Rouhani had traveled to the Zemestanyourt mine to give a speech to miners and their families gathered there. “We are all responsible for this incident”, said Rouhani, calling for tighter regulations in the mining sector.

The miners grew angry after Rouhani’s visit, during which he vowed that “those who are guilty in this incident should be prosecuted”.

The blast, which also left 73 other workers injured, occurred as a result of methane gas accumulation at the coal mine 14 kilometers away from the city of Azad-Shahr. The provincial director general of disaster management said 22 dead bodies had been recovered, and that some of the dead were rescuers who had gone into the mine to help victims of the initial explosion.

It was an extraordinary and rare display of public anger ahead of a presidential election scheduled for May 19.

The Iranian Resistance’s President-elect Maryam Rajavi extended her condolences to the families of dozens of mine workers who got killed in the explosion of Azadshahr Mine, as well as to all workers and residents of Golestan Province on this tragedy.

The mine explosion also marks the second major disaster to strike Iran in recent months. It uses about 2.5 million tons of coal annually, but only 1 million tons are taken out of its own mines.

Rabiei also traveled to Azad-Shahr, where he said numerous country’s 20-, 30-, and 50-year-old mines, especially coal mines, were in need of renovation.

Industrial accidents are common in Iran, where much of the infrastructure is outdated, according to The New York Times. Lax safety standards and inadequate emergency services in mining areas are often cited as the reason for casualties.

However, many in the country remain discontent as the benefits of the nuclear deal with world powers have yet to trickle down to the average Iranian. Delegations have visited Tehran from foreign countries including the Czech Republic, hopeful for contracts.