The twin blasts at the Raspadskaya mine in the Kemerovo region on May 8 and 9 that killed 90 may be linked to a fire that started underground for unspecified reasons several days before the explosions, Interfax reported Sunday.
Raspadskaya's management tried to cover up the incident, and efforts to fight the fire continued until the blasts occurred, a source familiar with the preliminary findings of an investigation conducted by the Federal Service for Environmental, Technological and Atomic Inspection, told Interfax.
The service will release the preliminary findings this week, Nikolai Kutin, the service's head, said Tuesday.
Kutin said he expected the findings to be consistent with the final results of the investigation, which will only be concluded after the flooded Raspadskaya is dried out, a process that may take several months.
The service reported earlier that the miners ignored a ban on flammables and brought matches and lighters into the mine, but it was unclear on Sunday whether that was to blame for the fire.