Methane explosion buries 16 miners in Russia's Novokuznetsk

Kemerovo regional governor Aman Tuleyev chaired the emergency headquarters

An explosion on the Yesaulskaya mine in the city of Novokuznetsk, the Kemerovo region, took place at 4 a.m. today, Moscow time. At least ten people were killed with the explosion; the fate of 16 other miners and rescuers is not known. It became possible to save 23 people from the mine.

The information about the precise number of people, who were staying in the mine during the moment of the explosion, is rather contradictory. An emission of smoke occurred in the mine on February 8th. Rescuers and miners were working on the site of the explosion – they were trying to block the smoke from spreading in the mine further. Up to 35 people were involved in those operations.

The accident was supposedly caused with an explosion of methane. Six rescuing brigades are now working on the site of the explosion; special headquarters to rescue the people trapped in the mine and determine the reasons of the tragedy has been established. Kemerovo regional governor Aman Tuleyev chaired the emergency headquarters.

According to the information from the Kuzbass-FM radio station, another breakdown took place on the mine shortly before the recent explosion. Over 215 miners had to stop working and mine and come out on the ground on January 25th, when smoke filled the conveyer entry of the mine. A malfunction occurred in the engine of the transporting belt. No one was injured as a result of the incident.

The coal company Kuzbassugol and the regional authorities canceled the signing of the cooperation agreement because of the explosion. Governor Aman Tuleyev was supposed to sign the document, but the head of the region left for the site of the tragedy, which delayed the business ceremony for an uncertain period of time.