Methane explosion at Russian mine

May 24, 2007

Moscow, Russia - A Russian coal mine exploded from a methane build-up leaving more than 72 workers trapped underground, officials said.

At least 28 workers were in the immediate vicinity of the blast and it is not known if any of them was hurt, a local official told AP news agency.

The official said 145 mine workers had been led to safety after the blast.

The mine is near Novokuznetsk town, in Siberia's Kemerovo region. A methane blast at the nearby Ulyanovskaya mine killed more than 100 workers in March.

Russia's coal mines frequently suffer accidents, blamed on ageing technology and a shortfall in investment following the collapse of the Soviet Union.