Moscow: At least 25 miners were killed and 11 others missing in a methane gas explosion and fire that ripped through a coal mine in eastern Ukraine, the emergency ministry said today (July 20,2004).

The deadly blast rocked the Krasnolimanskaya coalmine in Donetsk region of Ukraine late last night (July 19,2004), causing a huge fire that soon engulfed the underground pit killing all of them, they said.

After over six hours of efforts the rescuers have recovered 25 bodies early this morning, while 11 others are still missing, the ministry said.

There were 46 miners in the pit at the time of the blast as they were changing their shifts. Ten miners managed to escape the inferno.

According to reports from the blast site, high temperature, heavy smoke and a major concentration of carbon dioxide gas is hampering the rescue work.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukevich has rushed to the disaster zone for an on the spot inspection of the situation and to co-ordinate rescue efforts, ITAR-TASS reported from Kiev.