Russia: More than 50 killed in a gas mine explosion

 

Russia: More than 50 killed in a gas mine explosion

The Russian news agency says the death toll from a gas leak at a Siberian coal mine has risen to 52.

The dead included six rescue workers who were sent to the mine to evacuate dozens.

According to the foreign news agency Reuters, the regional investigative committee said that three people, including the director of the Listavaznia mine and his deputy, have been arrested on suspicion of violating industrial safety laws.

The statement said that the miners suffocated due to gas filling in the ventilation shaft.

State TV said prosecutors believed methane gas had exploded in the mine.

Eleven miners have so far been confirmed dead and 41 others, including six rescue workers, are missing.

Dozens of people were taken to the hospital where the condition of four people is said to be critical.

It should be noted that the mines of Kemerovo, a coal-producing region about 3,500 km from Moscow, have been experiencing fatal accidents for years.

Listvaznia Kan, part of SDS Holdings, a private Siberian business union, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Ministry of Emergency Situations said there were about 285 people in the mine at the time the smoke spread through the ventilation shaft, of which 239 managed to get out.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he had spoken to the governor and emergency officials, while the Kremlin said it had ordered the emergency minister to arrive in the region to help.

Kemerovo's government has declared three days of mourning over the crash.

It is thought to have been the largest mining accident in the region since the Soviet Union in 2007, and an explosion at the Ulyanovskaya mine killed more than 100 people.

In 2010, more than 90 people were killed in explosions at the Raspaskaya mine in the region.