ASTANA, January 11 (RIA Novosti) - The death toll of a methane explosion in a mine in central Kazakhstan early on Friday has risen to seven, with 24 miners reported missing, a local Emergencies Ministry spokesperson said.
"According to the latest reports, 160 of the 191 miners who were in the pit at the time of the explosion have been rescued," Natalia Kim said. Earlier reports had said there were 195 miners in the shaft when the explosion went off at 9:30 a.m. local time (3:30 a.m. GMT).
Kazakh Emergencies Minister Vladimir Bozhko has already left for the site of the explosion. Bozhko has also been placed in charge of a government commission set up to investigate the causes of the blast.
The Abaiskaya mine is owned by ArcelorMittal Temirtau, a subsidiary of the world's number one steel company, ArcelorMittal.
