Rescuers on Tuesday found the bodies of two miners who have been trapped underground in the crippled Severnaya mine in Russia's Komi Republic since Saturday, the Emergencies Ministry said.
The miners remained underground after a collapse destroyed the mineshaft. "It was established that the miners died during the collapse," the ministry said in a statement.
They are the unlucky ones, of the 79 miners initially trapped in the mine, 76 were immediately lifted to safety.
Initial Emergencies Ministry reports said that the three trapped miners were alive. However, only one more miner was found and brought to the surface alive. He is presently in the hospital.
According to the local emergencies services, the collapse occurred as a result of a rock fall. The ventilation shaft at the mine was not damaged, the statement said.
The Severnaya mine is operated by Vorkutaugol, one of the largest mining companies operating in the Pechorsky Coal Basin, Russia's second largest after Kuzbass. The company is owned by Severstal, one of the biggest steel holdings in Russia, through its subsidiary Severstal-Resurs.
