Eighteen miners were injured and another two remain missing after a fire broke out at a mine in the Krasnoarmeisk district in eastern Ukraine on Tuesday, Interfax reported.
The incident occurred at about 10:30 a.m. at a depth of 815 meters below ground, when a mixture of gas and dust is believed to have caused an explosion, the report said. Those injured in the blast, at the Skakhtoupravleniye Pokrovskoye mine, were immediately transported to a local hospital.
Investigators were at the scene throughout the day Tuesday, and a criminal case has already been launched on the charge of violating safety norms. The Donetsk regional prosecutor has taken charge of the case, Interfax reported.
