Story Highlights • 35 miners dead, three missing after a methane gas explosion in Siberia
• Accident occurred at the Yubileinaya mine in the Kemerovo region
• Incident follows death in March of 100 miners in region's Ulyanovskaya mine
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MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- At least 35 miners were dead and three missing after a methane gas explosion Thursday at a coal mine in southwestern Siberia, the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations said, Russia's Interfax news agency reported. Officials said 179 miners were rescued -- seven of them were injured.
The accident occurred at the Yubileinaya mine in the Kemerovo region at about 7:40 a.m. Moscow time (11:40 p.m. ET Wednesday). At the time of the explosion, 217 miners were inside the mine.
The mine is near the city of Novokuznetsk, about 1,850 miles (3,000 kilometers) east of Moscow. It is located in a major Russian industrial region, with some of the world's largest deposits of coal.
It is the latest disaster to hit this remote Siberian mining community. In March, more than 100 miners were killed in an accident at the Ulyanovskaya mine.
Map highlighting the Kemerovo Oblast. 


At least 38 miners are dead after methane exploded in an underground coal mine in Russia. 180 people made it out of the mine, and at least 7 of those were seriously injured. At least 217 miners were inside when the explosion occurred.

"Up to 45 people could have been at the epicenter of the blast. One hundred and eighty people have been brought out. Of these, five have life-threatening injuries. The fate of the other trapped miners is unknown. According to the (mining) company’s information, there were 194 workers and 23 engineering inspectors underground when the mine exploded," said a spokesman for Russia's Emergency Ministry.

The explosion occurred at the Yubileynaya (Jubilee) Mine located in Novokuznetsk, Russia in the Kemerovo Oblast at approximately 7:40 a.m. local time on Thursday 11:40 p.m. eastern time on Wednesday. Yuzhkuzbassugol currently owns the mining facility.

The mine has already received several violations, and according to Russia's industrial safety agency the mine would likely lose its license to operate. "Such a decision could be taken after an inquiry into all the circumstances of the accident at the Yubileinaya mine. Particularly since we have already found violations at Yuzhkuzbassugol mines."