Explosion at Ukraine coal mine claims 47

The death toll following a methane gas explosion at a coal mine in the Donetsk region of western Ukraine has risen to 47 after a fire burning about 1 km below the surface prevented rescuers from reaching 10 missing miners trapped underground.

Any hope of finding the miners alive has been abandoned.

The explosion on Aug. 19 killed 36 miners and injured dozens of others. Since then, about 1,000 rescue workers have battled dense smoke and temperatures in excess of 80C in attempts to reach the missing miners. As a result of the extreme heat, rescuers were unable to get closer than 300 ft. of where the miners were thought to be.

Local officials say 259 miners were working underground at the Zasyadko mine when a mixture of coal dust and methane gas exploded. About 40 miners remain in hospital, and at least 14 of them have severe injuries.

Salvage teams have been unable to use water to douse the flames for fear of flooding the mine shaft.

The latest plan called for concrete cinder blocks containing an inert gaseous compound to be placed in the shaft to extinguish the fire.

Meanwhile, other miners continue to work in other shafts at the mine.

A special commission has been set up to investigate the accident, though it is still too early to speculate on the cause.

Antiquated equipment and widespread disregard for safety rules have been blamed for similar accidents that claimed more than 300 lives last year in the Ukraine.