It will take rescuers at lease one week to resume search efforts at a West Siberian coalmine, hit by two methane blasts over the weekend, said Pavel Plat, the chief military expert of the Emergency Situations Ministry.
Rescue operations at the Raspadskaya coalmine where 24 miners are still missing were temporarily halted on Thursday due to the threat of further explosions.
"The concentration of methane has surpassed all imaginable levels. We have calculations which say that it [the rescue effort] may resume after seven days at best," he said.
At least 66 people were killed in the two blasts and 129 people sought medical aid.
MOSCOW, May 14 (RIA Novosti)
