Kiev, July 22: Six people died in a methane blast that ripped through a mine in southeastern Ukraine on Sunday in the latest underground disaster highlighting the country's dilapidated coal-mining industry. The emergencies ministry said 14 miners were injured, two critically, in the explosion at the Yuvileina mine in Ukraine's Dniepropetrovsk region.
The accident occurred as 48 men were working at a depth of 260 meters, a ministry official said.
The disaster again highlights the state of the widely criticised coalmining industry in the former soviet constituent republic, crippled by old equipment, corrupt officials and poor quality coal which often can be sold only for less than it costs to produce.
More than 120 Ukrainian miners are estimated to have died in incidents since the start of the year.

Bureau Report