Death toll in Siberian mine blast rises to 39: Ifax

Moscow, May 28: A miner died in hospital on Sunday from injuries received in a deadly methane explosion at a Siberian coal mine, bringing the death toll to 39, Interfax news agency reported.

The methane blast ripped through the Yubileynaya mine in the Kemerovo region of western Siberia on Thursday, at a time when 217 miners were below ground.

The mine is run by Yuzhkuzbassugol, owner of a neighbouring mine where 110 people died in a methane blast in March.

The Russian steel maker Evraz Group said on Friday it had agreed to acquire the 50 per cent of Yuzhkuzbassugol it does not already own from management.

Safety standards are poorly implemented in many mines as workers and management try to boost output, according to Russia's industrial safety watchdog.

Reuters>