Coal mine explosion in Ukraine east traps 70 miners underground

DONETSK, Mar 4 (PRIME) -- A coal mine has exploded near the city of Donetsk in Ukraine’s east trapping over 70 miners underground but the incident was not due to shelling, a local news agency reported, citing a spokeswoman for the Emergency Ministry of the self-proclaimed Donetsk republic Yuliana Bedilo.

“Preliminary data say seventy three people are blocked underground. We are doing mine rescue works,” Bedilo said.

Ukraine’s coal output fell 22% to 65 million tonnes in 2014 due to a conflict in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

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