More than 30 killed in explosion at coal mine in Donetsk
An early morning coal mine blast in the eastern Ukrainian rebel stronghold of Donetsk has killed more than 30 people and injured 14, a local official said.
About 70 people were working underground at the time of the explosion, a local emergencies ministry official told the Donetsk separatist press service.
Previously, local officials had said 70 people were trapped underground. It was not clear if some of them were being listed as killed and injured.
The cause of the blast in the Zasyadko coal mine was not immediately clear.
The head of a local mining safety service, Vladimir Tsymbalenko, said poisonous gases released by the explosion were being removed to clear the way for rescue workers to reach the locate of the blast.