Dozens of Miners Trapped and 11 People Dead After Fire in Russian Coal Mine

A fire burst in the Listvyazhnaya coal mine in the Kemerovo region of Russia’s Siberia killed 11 miners and trapped many others.

The local authorities and emergency services announced that a rescue operation is underway, and 259 of 285 miners have been saved. 

According to Sputnik, The Governor of Kemerovo, Oblast Sergei Tsivilev announced that 11 miners have passed away due to the incident, and 44 had been injured, four of them being in critical condition. The rescue operation to save the remaining 35 miners has been halted due to an explosion risk with high levels of methane and carbon dioxide.

Tsivilev also explained that ventilation and electricity were still operational in the mine, but the communication is lost with the trapped miners.

The Emergencies Ministry stated that the fire broke out at a depth of 250 meters, which was caused by coal dust that caught fire in a ventilation shaft, and spread smoke across the mine, according to Tass Russian News Agency.

The Investigative Committee assigned to the incident revealed that a case was opened to look for signs of negligence that killed 11 miners.

Russian President Vladimir Putin offered his condolences after the incident in a written statement. 

President Putin also stated that he had ordered officials to visit the site and offer assistance to victims and their families and to continue the support for rescue operations.

This is a breaking story and will be updated.