Pakistan's army chief arrives in Tehran

Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff and a key mediator in U.S.-Iran talks, arrived in Tehran in an attempt to broker a peace deal between the two sides, the Pakistani military said on Friday.

The visit comes amid ongoing diplomatic engagements between Islamabad and Tehran on regional developments and efforts aimed at promoting peace and stability in the region.

According to another Pakistani military source, Asim Malik, the current director general of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), has also departed for a visit to Iran on the same day.

The Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA) reported early on Friday that the exchange of messages between Iran and the United States, mediated by Pakistan, is continuing with the aim of reaching a framework for an agreement.

On the same day, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi met with Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who was visiting Tehran. The two sides exchanged views on advancing the negotiation process aimed at ending the war between Iran and the United States, Iranian media reported.

In addition, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Friday that a negotiating delegation sent by Qatar has arrived in Tehran and is currently holding talks with Araghchi.

Baghaei said that the Pakistani side remains the main mediator in the negotiations.

Iran, the United States and Israel reached a ceasefire on April 8 after 40 days of fighting that started with U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran on Feb 28.

Following the truce, Iranian and U.S. delegations held one round of peace talks in Pakistan's Islamabad on April 11 and 12, which failed to yield an agreement.

Over the past weeks, the two sides have reportedly exchanged several proposed plans outlining conditions for ending the conflict through Pakistani mediation.

Pakistan's army chief arrives in Tehran

A total of 82 people have been confirmed dead while two others remained missing after a coal mine gas explosion in north China's Shanxi Province on Friday, officials said at a press conference on Saturday.

Another 128 people were receiving treatment in hospitals, including two in critical condition and two in serious condition.

"A gas explosion hit the Liushenyu coal mine, owned by Tongzhou Group, in Qinyuan County at 19:29 on Friday, with 247 people working underground at the time. As of the press conference, 82 people had been confirmed dead, and two remained missing. The search and rescue have been underway. Another 128 people were injured and hospitalized, while 35 were uninjured and had returned home," said Chen Xiangyang, mayor of Changzhi City, which administers Qinyuan.

Officials at the press conference attributed the initial inaccurate figures to chaos at the scene and the company's failure to provide the accurate headcount of workers on duty.

Toxic and harmful gases under the mine shaft have exceeded safe limits for a long time, posing a risk of secondary disasters.

Chen told the press conference that the company involved in the coal mine explosion had been found to have "serious violations of laws and regulations," and that those responsible for the company had been placed under control. The company's coal mines have ceased production for safety overhaul, said Chen.

The cause of the accident is still under investigation, he added.

North China coal mine explosion leaves 82 dead, 2 missing