Ukraine mine blast kills 65

UKRAINE, Rescuers were searching Monday for 35 miners still missing after a gas explosion ripped through one of Ukraine's main coal mines killing at least 65 people, the emergency situations ministry said.

"Sixty-five people were killed and the fate of 35 others is unknown," ministry spokesman Igor Krol told AFP, adding that 28 miners had been hospitalised. A total of 456 people were in the Zasyadko mine in the eastern Donetsk region when the explosion occurred at 3:11 am (0111 GMT) on Sunday, a spokesman for the emergency situations ministry said.

A massive rescue operation continued through the day with 65 rescue teams and more than 20 medical units at the scene, the emergency situations ministry said in a statement.

At least 350 miners had been evacuated, said Mykola Maleyev, an official with Ukraine's work safety authority. Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, who comes from the region, headed to the scene to oversee the government's response to one of the worst mining accidents in the country, vowing to establish the cause of the accident.

"I am grieving with all of Ukraine," President Viktor Yushchenko said in a statement. The head of the regional administration declared three days of mourning, Interfax reported. The Zasyadko mine, one of Ukraine's largest, employs some 10,000 people and produces up to 10,000 tonnes of coal every day.

Donetsk, Monday, AFP