Death Toll in Siberia Coal Mine Accident Rises to 52

Authorities announced late Thursday that the death of the Siberian coal mine accident rose to 52 people, including six rescuers.

"According to the preliminary data, there were no survivors in the coalmine. As many as 52 people were killed, including mine rescuers," the source said.

In this regard, the director of the coal mine in addition to his first deputy were detained in the context of a criminal proceeding on the death of 11 workers.

"They will be charged in the near future and the investigation will petition for their arrest," the Russian Investigative Committee told TASS.

Deputy Prosecutor General Dmitry Demeshin noted that the Listvyazhnaya coal mine was likely to be caused by a methane explosion emergency.

Some 287 miners were underground, according to the Emergencies Ministry.

In the same vein, the authorities of West Siberia’s coal mining area, Kuzbass, have declared three days of mourning for the victims, Governor Sergey Tsivilyov announced on his official Telegram channel.

"Governor Sergey Tsivilyov declared three days of mourning on November 26-28 for the coal workers who died in the accident," the news release pointed out.