Ukraine mine blast kills 16
Ukrainian miners smoke cigarettes after their shift in a coal mine in Novodzerzhinsk on August 13, 2010.
At least 16 miners were killed when a powerful explosion jolted a coal mine in eastern Ukraine early Friday morning, Ukraine's Emergency Situations Ministry told reporters.
Emergency officials told the Associated Press that two workers were hospitalized with burns and 10 more remain missing.
The explosion, which took place at 1:57 A.M. local time, hit the Suhodilsk-Eastern mine in Ukraine's eastern Lugansk region, BBC reports. The explosion hit at a depth of 915 meters (0.6 miles), the ministry reportedly said.
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"The cause of the blast is being determined," the ministry told Reuters.
The Suhodilsk-Eastern mine has been in operation since 1980.
Ukraine has some of the most dangerous coal mines in the world. The mines use outdated, Soviet-era equipment and have poor safety standards.
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