You're reading: Eighteen miners feared trapped after Russian pit blast

MOSCOW - Eighteen miners were feared trapped under rubble after an explosion on Monday in a coal mine in the Komi region of northern Russia, the Emergencies Ministry said.

The blast at 10:28 a.m. local time (0628 GMT) caused the
mine to collapse on a team of 22 people, four of whom escaped,
the ministry said in a statement. Paramilitary rescue units were
working to free the remaining victims.

The mine belongs to a division of Severstal, one
of Russia’s largest steel producers.