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Russia: At least 52 people killed in a fire at a coal mine in Siberia
The miners were trapped 250 meters underground following a flare-up of methane gas, and six rescuers were also among the victims.
The mine manager and two other senior officials were arrested on suspicion of violating local safety regulations.
Putin sent his condolences, three days but were declared in the region
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Russia
Siberia
IP
Thursday, 25 November 2021, 22:41
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Six rescuers perished during the search for survivors.
Emergency crews at the entrance to the mine, today (Photo: AP)
At least 52 coal miners and rescue workers perished in a fire at a coal mine in Siberia, Russian authorities reported today (Thursday). Officials said earlier that the search for missing persons had been stopped for safety reasons, due to the accumulation of explosive methane gas and a high concentration of toxic fumes from the fire. Russia's deputy attorney general Dmitry Damshin told reporters that the fire was most likely caused by a methane explosion caused by a spark. Three people, including the mine manager and two other senior officials, were arrested on suspicion of violating safety rules.
The blast occurred around 8:35 a.m., and caused a fire in the ventilation system of the Listebizna mine located in the Kamarovo district in southwestern Siberia, about 3,500 km east of the capital Moscow. The mine was filled with smoke, while there were 285 miners and 239 of them rescued alive. The deaths of 11 miners were determined shortly after the fire, and another 35 were declared missing, until in the evening authorities declared the chances of finding survivors zero. The mine, and some of them were in critical condition.
In 2004, 13 people were killed in a similar accident at the mine.
Emergency forces convened today (Photo: Reuters)
Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and said that the government will offer all the necessary assistance to the wounded.
Following the disaster, county authorities have declared three days of mourning.
The Listbizena mine has known of a similar fatal accident in the past: in 2004, 13 people were killed in a methane gas explosion at the site.
The mine accident today is the worst since 2010, when 90 people were killed in the Raspadskaya mine.
In 2016, 58 coal mines in Russia underwent safety tests, and authorities declared 34% of them unsafe, but the Listbizna mine was not one of them.
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