MOSCOW, November 25. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered deep condolences to the families of coalminers who died in an emergency in the Listvyazhnaya mine in Kuzbass. The Kremlin hopes the survivors still trapped underground will be rescued, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. 

"The president offers deep condolences to the families of coalminers who died, those whose death has been confirmed. And, of course, we hope those trapped underground will be rescued," he said.

The Siberian office of the technological supervision watchdog Rostekhnadzor received an alarm report of smoke and an explosion in the coalmine’s ventilation gallery at 09:08 local time (05:05 Moscow time). According to the Emergencies Ministry the smoke emission and subsequent explosion occurred at a depth of 250 meters. A source in emergency services told TASS coal dust in a ventilation gallery had caught fire. The smoke from it spread about the whole coalmine.

The Kuzbass authorities have confirmed the death of eleven workers.