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Blast rips through Russian mine Russia mine explosion 'kills 17'
(about 2 hours later)
A gas blast has ripped through a coal mine in Siberia where 168 people were said to be working, Russian emergency ministry officials say. A methane explosion at a coal mine in Siberia has killed at least 17 people, Russian officials have said.
They said 21 miners - at least three of them injured - had been rescued after methane exploded at the Ulyanovskaya mine in the Kemerovo region. They said dozens of miners, some injured, had been rescued after the blast at the Ulyanovskaya mine in the Kemerovo region.
It is not immediately clear if the others are trapped underground. The officials said 168 miners were underground at the time of the blast. The rescue operation is continuing.
Russia's coal mines are notoriously unsafe. A methane blast at a Kemerovo coal mine killed 21 miners in 2005.Russia's coal mines are notoriously unsafe. A methane blast at a Kemerovo coal mine killed 21 miners in 2005.
The blast at the Ulyanovskaya mine happened at about 1030 Moscow time (0730 GMT). Rescued
The blast at Ulyanovskaya happened at about 1030 Moscow time (0730 GMT).
"It was a methane gas explosion," a spokeswoman at Russia's emergency ministry told the AFP news agency."It was a methane gas explosion," a spokeswoman at Russia's emergency ministry told the AFP news agency.
"The latest information is that there were 168 miners inside at the time of the blast. Twenty-one have been pulled out," she said. "The latest information is that there were 168 miners inside at the time of the blast," she said.
Earlier reports said there were 180 miners in the mine at the time of the blast. Russia's Itar-Tass news agency reported that at least 55 miners had been rescued so far.
The rescue operation is continuing. The mine is located in Novokuznetsk, about 3,000km (1,850 miles) east of the capital, Moscow.
The mine is located in Novokuznetsk, about 3,000km (1,850 miles) east of the capital Moscow.
It was opened in 2002 and had modern equipment, regional officials said.It was opened in 2002 and had modern equipment, regional officials said.
Russia's coal mines are largely unprofitable and many have not invested in new safety equipment since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.Russia's coal mines are largely unprofitable and many have not invested in new safety equipment since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.