KIEV, January 6 (RIA Novosti) – Rescuers have removed two bodies of miners from a coalmine in the town of Kirovskoye in eastern Ukraine, which was hit by a methane gas explosion three days ago, local emergencies said.

A spontaneous methane outburst at the Komsomolets Donbassa coalmine on Thursday morning caused rock collapse, trapping four workers underground.

One of the miners managed to leave the accident-hit area on his own. He was later hospitalized with gas poisoning.

The body of another miner was found later on Thursday. A search for the two miners continued. By now, the rescue operation has been competed.

Mining accidents are frequent in Ukraine. In 2007, more than 100 miners died in a blast at a mine near Donetsk.