Methane blast in Siberian mine kills three

A methane blast at a diamond mine in Russia’s remote Siberian region of Yakutia killed three miners and injured two others, regional authorities said Monday.

The accident occurred at the Udachny (“Lucky”) mine, owned by Russian state diamond giant Alrosa.

The site — one of the deepest open-pit mines in the world — lies in the remote industrial town of Mirny, in one of the coldest areas on the planet.

“Today at night there was a methane outburst at the Udachny mine,” Aysen Nikolayev, the regional governor, said on Telegram.

“As a result of the explosion five people were impacted. Unfortunately, three of them died,” he said.

Nikolayev said the two other people were hospitalised and that a team of medics were sent to the remote town from the regional capital of Yakutsk.

He also said that he had ordered “serious work on strengthening industrial safety measures in the republic’s enterprises.”

Alrosa said it would help the families of the miners who were killed.

“I express deepest condolences to the families and the close ones of those who died, their families will be given material help,” Pavel Marinychev, Alrosa’s general director said.

The Soviet-era Udachny mine has a depth of around 630 metres.

Accidents at Russian mines and factories are relatively common, with an often lax approach to safety measures.