Written by Staff Writer
A coal mine fire in Siberia’s Amur region has claimed the lives of 11 people and left dozens trapped.
Forty-five people managed to escape the mine in Kudankulam in the Zheleznogorsk region of southern Russia, according to TASS, the Russian news agency.
Nearly 50 people are believed to be inside the mine after a fire broke out, Russian broadcaster RIA Novosti reported, citing locals.
Coal mining is a risky profession in Russia. On Monday, 11 miners were killed after fire struck the Sukhgorod mine in the western Kirov region.
More than 50 people died in a coal mine fire in the Siberian region of Khakassia on August 30, 2017.
‘How far will we go?’
Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a televised statement that those who are trapped in the mine are under an “extreme danger” from flames and poisonous gases.
“How far will we go to help people in danger and dying?” he asked.
Putin also promised that rescuers will “fight to the last minute” to bring anyone who’s trapped out alive.