Moscow: At least 69 miners were killed, while 31 others were missing in a Ukrainian coal mine blast, country's disaster management official said.
According to Russian agencies 457 miners were in the Zasyadko coal mine in Donetsk at the time of methane blast yesterday morning. By this morning the toll has risen to 69 and 31 coal miners trapped at the depth of 1078 have a slim chance of survival in spite of the massive rescue operations, NTV channel reported quoting Ukrainian disaster management authority.
Ukraine has declared three-day mourning in the country. Russian media reports that Zasyadko mine in the Donetsk Coal Basin has a notorious safety record.
Since Ukraine's independence in 1991 after the Soviet collapse it is the sixth case of methane blast in this mine. In 1999 fifty miners were killed, in 2001-55,in 2002 20 and last year 13 miners were killed in the methane blast in this mine.
