MOSCOW, March 26 (RIA Novosti) - Preliminary investigation results indicate that the methane explosion at a mine in West Siberia, where more than 100 people died was caused by serious breaches in safety regulations, the technological watchdog said Monday.
A total of 108 people were killed and 93 rescued following the explosion at the Ulyanovskaya mine in the Kemerovo Region March 19.
Konstantin Pulikovsky, the head of the Federal Environmental, Engineering, and Nuclear Supervision Agency, said the watchdog will carry out checks of safety procedures at all Russian mines.
The inspection of 60 mines in the Kemerovo Region began last Thursday, and checks of all mines across Russia will start March 27.
Pulikovsky demanded that urgent measures be taken, including the suspension of production, if any safety violations are discovered at mines.
