Dec 11, 2008 11:00 pm US/Eastern
Official: 9 Killed In Russian Mine Blast
MOSCOW (AP) ―
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An explosion and fire ripped through a mine in northern Russia, killing at least nine workers, an emergency official said Friday. (File)
WCBS
An explosion and fire ripped through a mine in northern Russia, killing at least nine workers, an emergency official said Friday.
Three other workers were missing after the blast, Murmansk region Emergency Situations Ministry spokeswoman Irina Gretskaya said.
The mine belongs to OAO Apatit, a major company that produces the fertilizer component apatite, or calcium phosphate.
A duty officer at Apatit who declined to give his name for attribution, citing company policy, said the blast happened Thursday night. He would not give additional details.
The blast, which sparked a fire, occurred as workers were conducting or preparing to conduct controlled explosions for tunneling, Gretskaya said. She said four bodies had been recovered and rescuers were searching for the missing workers.
Mine explosions and other industrial accidents are common in Russia and other ex-Soviet republics, and are often blamed on inadequate implementation of safety precautions by companies or by workers themselves.
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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