Rescue teams continue to search for four miners who have been missing in the Kemerovo region's Osinnikovskaya mine since it was engulfed in a flash flood on Tuesday evening.
The incident occurred when a wall separating the bottom of the mine from the niche collapsed, causing 34,000 cubic meters of water to flood the mine when 143 workers were present, Interfax reported.
One hundred thirty nine of the miners were able to evacuate, with three suffering moderately severe injuries, but another four are still missing. Rescue teams are currently searching for the four missing miners.
According to a statement posted on the Emergency Situations Ministry's regional website, two pumps were being delivered to the accident site to drain the water.
Governor Aman Tuleyev is currently overseeing the rescue operation. The accident was likely caused by safety procedure violations, said a statement posted on the governor's website.
In the immediate aftermath of the flooding, Tuleyev ordered managers of all regional mines to check their compliance with mandatory safety regulations.
The Osinnikovskaya mine is owned by the Evraz Group, whose spokesman told Interfax that the mine would ship coal to its consumers from a warehouse while production is halted.
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