By RIA Novosti
Donetsk(Ukraine) : Local prosecutors opened Monday a criminal investigation into a mine blast in east Ukraine’s Donetsk region as the death toll rose to 72, with 28 miners still missing.
The Zasyadko coalmine was hit by a methane explosion early Sunday, causing a fire in the mine. At the time of the blast, 457 miners were underground. A total of 357 miners have since been brought overground.
Prosecutors said the investigation would examine whether breaches in health and safety procedures had led to the deaths of the miners, adding that at present they have no “concrete evidence” of any violations.
Search for the missing has been greatly hampered by outbreak of new fires in the mine.
Earlier, Ukrainian Vice-Premier Andriy Klyuyev said, “I can make no comment. The fate of 30 people remains unclear. Temperatures are rising, and a fire has started.”
A trade union official said the chances of finding any more people alive were slim.
Local authorities have announced three days of mourning for the dead.