Moscow, Jan 20 (IANS/RIA Novosti): At least four miners died early Sunday due to smoke inhalation at a coal mine in Siberia's Kemerovo region, authorities said.
The accident occurred when 77 miners were working underground at the mine No. 7 in the Prokopyevsky district and the smoke started spreading though the tunnels at around 02.15 a.m. Sixty-nine people were successfully evacuated.
Kemerovo is part of Russia's major coal-producing Kuzbass region. Aman Tuleyev, the region's governor, was personally leading the rescue effort.