9 coalminers feared trapped in Russian pit explosion February 11, 2013 - 12:35 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Nine coalminers were feared trapped under rubble on Monday, February 11 after an explosion at a pit in the Komi region of northern Russia, the Emergencies Ministry said, according to Reuters. The ministry said the blast at 10:28 a.m. local time (1.28 a.m. EST) was probably caused by a buildup of methane. It initially said 18 people had been trapped but later issued a statement saying several had escaped or been rescued. The mine belongs to a division of Severstal, one of Russia's largest steel producers. "Our rescue team has only just gone out to the mine," said Yevgeny Sukharev, a spokesman for Vorkutaugol, a coal supplier for Severstal. "Clearly, an incident has occurred, but we cannot yet say exactly what happened and what scale (it is on)," he said. The coal mine in Russia's far north is owned by Vorkutaugol, in which Severstal has a more than 90 percent stake. Partner news  Top stories Amy Elliott, chief administrative officer of the Oklahoma medical examiner's office, said 51 were confirmed dead. An Islamist insurgency, once confined largely to the republic of Chechnya, has spread across the North Caucasus in recent years. Earlier, at least five Azerbaijan soldiers were killed and six seriously injured when their vehicle rammed into a tree and overturned. Among its provisions are bans on child marriage and the traditional practice of selling and buying women to settle disputes.   Partner news |  Latest news Shanghai Film Festival jury announced  The fest announced that Oliver Stone will be receiving an Outstanding Achievement honorary award at the festival this year.Sylvester Stallone in talks with Steven Seagal for "The Expendables 3" Besides Mickey Rourke, "The Karate Kid" star Jackie Chan has agreed to join the film from director Patrick Hughes.Russia, Azerbaijan negotiating new oil transit deal - Lavrov Last week, Novruz Mammadov told local media that “the transportation of oil at the moment is simply not profitable to both parties.”“Wall Street and W” scribe to adapt “Three Graves Full” novel The book follows a mild-mannered guy who happens to kill somebody he wishes he’d never met, and buries the body in his backyard. |
