MOSCOW, May 24 (RIA Novosti) - At least 14 miners were killed in a methane explosion in a coal mine in western Siberia Thursday morning, Russia's emergencies ministry said.
The methane explosion at the Yubileinana coal mine in the Kemerovo region, Russia's largest coal producing area, occurred at 7.40 a.m. Moscow time (11.40 a.m. local time, 3.40 a.m. GMT), when 217 miners were working underground.
The local administration said 180 miners had been brought to the surface, five of them were injured, but the injuries were not thought to be life threatening. The rescue operation is continuing. Emergencies officials said about 40 miners could have been in the immediate proximity to where the explosion occurred.
The Yubileinaya mine is near the Ulyanovskaya mine where 110 miners were killed in a methane explosion March 19, which was Russia's worst coal mining disaster in the last 75 years.
Both mines belong to Yuzhkuzbasugol, Russia's largest underground mining company 50% owned by the second biggest steelmaker Evraz Group.
