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Explosion in Russian coal mine kills 52 people

Rescuers have confirmed deaths of 46 miners and six rescuers in Listvyazhnaya mine in Kuzbass, Yuri She, the commander of the Kemerovo mountain rescue detachment, told reporters. RIA Novosti reports.

«Explosion in the mine killed 46 miners. In the evening, six rescuers also died when trying to provide assistance,» Yuri She said.

According to the governor of the region Sergei Tsivilev, to reduce the risk of explosion, the mine working will need to be filled with methane. According to him, it will take three days.

Explosion and smoke occurred in the mine located in Belovo on Thursday at about 7.30 a.m. Bishkek time. There were 285 people underground at the time of the emergency, most of them were led to the surface by rescuers.

A criminal case was opened on the fact of the accident under the article «Violation of the industrial safety requirements at hazardous production facilities, resulting in the death of a person by negligence» of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to the Deputy Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation Dmitry Demeshin, methane explosion could become the cause of the emergency in the mine.

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