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Miners complained about high methane level at site of Kuzbass disaster, says official

The category of violations will be assessed to figure out whether they caused the explosion, Deputy Prosecutor General Dmitry Demeshin notes

GRAMOTEINO /Kemerovo region/, November 26. /TASS/. Miners earlier complained about a high methane level at the Listvyazhnaya mine in Russia’s Kemerovo region, Deputy Prosecutor General Dmitry Demeshin told reporters.

"There were complaints about that. The category of violations will be assessed to figure out whether they caused the explosion, but it’s too early to say if there is a direct underlying link between the methane blast and those violations. Tests and investigative activities will clear that up," he emphasized.

The deputy prosecutor general said earlier that the mine accident could have been caused by a methane gas explosion.

A fire at the Listvyzhnaya mine in Kuzbass’ Belovsky district was reported on Thursday morning. According to the Emergencies Ministry, 285 miners were trapped there the time of the accident. A total of 239 people were evacuated from the mine. According to the latest data, the accident killed 51, including five rescuers, and left 64 injured. Two criminal cases have been opened over breaches of industrial safety requirements and negligence causing the miners’ death. Five people have been taken into custody, including the mine’s director and deputy director, the head of the mine segment where the accident occurred and two officials from the industrial safety regulator, who inspected the mine.