UPDATE – At least thirteen miners have died after methane gas ignited at the Slask Wujek mine in the industrial region of Silesia, southern Poland.
Fifteen men are seriously injured, three in a critical state, say medical staff.
The accident happened at a depth of 1000 meters at 10.15 CET this morning at the Wujek-Slask, Ruch-Slask mine in Ruda Slaska-Kochlowice.
Fifteen miners were taken to the Centre for Treatment of Burns in Siemianowice Slaskie. Others, with minor burns, were hospitalized nearby.
Five medical helicopters, several ambulances and dozens of people took part in a rescue action.
The Minister of Interior and Administration Grzegorz Schetyna is on his way to Ruda Slaska and PM Donald Tusk, who is in Brussels, is being informed about the situation.
Methane ignitions are quite rare, occurring in coal mines when a pocket of methane gas ignites from a spark from machinery, sending a ball of fire through mine shafts.
In the last 30 years over 200 people have died in coal mine explosions. The most serious accident in recent years was a methane explosion at the Halemba coal mine in November 2006, in which 23 miners died. (mg/pg)
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