Ecuador mine blast kills two, injures at least 15

QUITO, Nov 27 (Reuters) Several explosions at a gold mine in southern Ecuador killed two miners and injured at least 15 injured, the mining company said.

''There are no miners trapped as it has been said, but only two deaths,'' said Jose Pacheco yesterday, a spokesman for Sominur, the company that owns the small underground gold mine in the southern province of Azuay.

He said 15 miners were injured but provincial emergency officials reported 35 injured after the explosions.

The blasts occurred at a warehouse holding explosives outside the mine, according to fire department official at the site.

Authorities said the causes of the blasts were not immediately known.

REUTERS SZ DS1123