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Six miners dead in methane gas outburst in coalmine in Kazakhstan

Two others sustained injuries

NUR-SULTAN, November 7. /TASS/. Six miners died and two others sustained injuries in a methane gas outburst at the Abaiskaya coalmine in the Karaganda Region in central Kazakhstan, the republic’s Emergencies Ministry reported on Sunday.

"At 09:30 [06:30 Moscow time] on November 7, the operations control service of the Karaganda Region received information about a methane gas outburst in the K10 air shaft of the Abaiskaya coalmine in the town of Abai, with eight miners presumably trapped inside," the statement says.

According to the Emergencies Ministry, six miners died and two others sustained injuries. Two miners hurt in a methane gas outburst were taken to an intensive care unit, the regional healthcare administration’s press office reported

"Two workers of the coalmine born in 1960 and 1963 were hospitalized on November 7. Both patients suffered acute poisoning with mine gases, including methane and carbon monoxide. The patients are in intensive care. The clinic’s doctors are rendering them all the required assistance," the press office said.

As the Emergencies Ministry reported, there were 64 miners in the coalmine at the time of the methane gas outburst. "Fifty-six people were immediately evacuated. Currently, the miners are being brought to the surface. The production process has been halted," the ministry said.

Over 20 rescuers and three pieces of special equipment are involved in the rescue operation. On an instruction from Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Askar Mamin, a commission led by Emergencies Minister Yuri Ilyin has left for the scene of the accident.