A methane gas explosion at Maloivanivska mine in eastern Ukraine has killed at least one worker, with nine others missing.
The explosion occurred in Luhansk People’s Republic’s (LPR) Pervomaisky district, 40km west of the Russian border. Twenty people were working on-site at the time.
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
According to local officials, the explosion happened 210m underground.
LPR health minister Larisa Airapetyan told Interfax: "The chances of finding survivors are not high: there is a lot of gas in there."
Following the incident, a state of emergency has been declared in LPR. In addition, an emergency situation headquarters and state commission have been created.
A health official said that an exit was blocked as a corridor collapsed when the explosion happened.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalDataClearance of debris is ongoing, with rescue operation currently taking place.
The Lugansk news site reported police chief Igor Kornet as saying that despite issuing instructions, the mine was not closed.
Previously, the Maloivanivska mine had been stripped of its operating licence due to a number of safety concerns.
