Rescuers have found nine dead construction workers following a mine fire in the Urals region of Perm.
The workers were trapped underground by smoke after a fire broke out in the mine in Solikamsk, some 1,500 km northeast of Moscow, on Saturday morning. The mine is operated by potash maker Uralkali.
The fire, which broke out in a section of the mine that was under construction, has yet to be fully extinguished, Interfax reported.
Rescuers were working to recover the bodies from a depth of more than 360 meters, the agency said.
The Investigative Committee opened a criminal case over the possible violation of safety rules, it said on its website.
Russia's mining industry has been plagued by accidents for years. In February 2016, 36 miners and rescue workers died in a coal mine above the Arctic circle.
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