At least four miners died early on Sunday as a result of smoke inhalation during an accident at a coal mine in southwestern Siberia’s Kemerovo Region, local emergencies services reported.
A total of 77 miners were working underground at the mine No. 7 in the Prokopyevsky district when smoke started spreading though the tunnels at around 02.15 a.m. Moscow time [22:15 GMT on Saturday].
An initial report said one miner died and seven were missing, but an update at 04.55 a.m. [00.30 GMT] added three more victims to the death toll. Sixty-nine people have been successfully evacuated.
“Rescuers have discovered three more bodies. The fate of the four missing miners remains unknown as the search for them continues,” the latest official report said. Kemerovo Region Governor Aman Tuleyev is personally leading the rescue effort. Kemerovo is part of Russia’s major coal-producing Kuzbass region.
Specialists and experts have determined the location of the four trapped miners. However, a rescue operation was suspended on Sunday Morning for fear of gas explosion regarding the high methane concentration in the tunnels, emergencies officials said.
A regional emergency center was set up in preparation for further rescue and medical efforts.
Meanwhile, families of the coal mine accident victims will receive three million rubles (100,000 US dollars) in aid, regional authorities said.
Methane explosion is a major cause of fatal accidents in Siberian coal-producing regions. In may 2010, two gas blasts at a coal mine near the town of Mezhdurechensk killed 91 people.
Sunday 20 January 2013
http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/756937.shtml http://en.rian.ru/russia/20130120/178898641.html
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