A methane blast ripped through a coal mine in eastern Ukraine early Sunday, killing at least 33 miners and leaving dozens of others trapped, emergency officials said.
The explosion occurred at the Zasyadka mine in the Donetsk region at a depth of more than 3,280 feet at around 3 a.m., Emergency Situations Ministry spokesman Ihor Krol said.
Rescue workers have found the bodies of 28 miners, and dozens of others have remained trapped throughout the sprawling mine, Krol said. Rescue authorities were working to bring them to the surface.
Several hundred workers were in the mine when the explosion occurred, although only around 30 were in the immediate area of the blast, officials said.
The Donetsk region is about 400 miles southeast of the capital, Kiev.
Ukrainian mines are among the world’s most dangerous because of the high number of fatal accidents. The mines are deep, use out-of-date equipment and maintain poor safety standards.
20.11.2007, рубрика "Eng Info World"