Blast rips through Russian mine, casualties unknown

Moscow, Mar 19: An underground explosion ripped through a Siberian coal mine today where 180 miners were working, an Emergencies Ministry spokeswoman said.

She could not say what had caused the explosion at the Ulyanovskaya mine in Kemerovo region or whether there were any casualties. ''The miners are currently being evacuated,'' the spokeswoman said.

Explosions caused by methane are not unusual in the Kemerovo coal basin, where many mines lack modern security equipment.

REUTERS