Siberia: coal mine is in the fire

Nine people died and 17 others were still missing after an explosion in a &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/accidents/2001/08/21/12928.html ' target=_blank>coal mine in Russia on Wednesday, a local administration spokeswoman said. A team of 30 miners and experts had been sent to the mine in the &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/main/2001/06/28/8884.html ' target=_blank>Kemerovo region in Siberia on Tuesday to investigate smoke inside the mine and stop it spreading. Early on Wednesday there was a methane explosion, tells Reuters. This information was received at 1:00 p.m. local time [9:00 a.m. Moscow time]. Among those killed are six mine rescuers and four miners," one of the sources said. "There has been no word on another 16 people who were at the mine at the time of the explosion," the source said. Four miners were injured. One of them was hospitalized with a brain injury and &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/region/2002/09/07/36145.html ' target=_blank>carbon monoxide poisoning. The other miners refused to be taken to hospital. A fire in the explosion area has not been extinguished yet. A search is continuing, informs Interfax. NR

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