Report: Blast hits Russia’s largest coal mine, workers injured

Reports: Blast hits Russia’s largest coal mine

MOSCOW — Russian news agencies are reporting an explosion in a west Siberian coal mine, the country’s largest.

The Interfax news agency, citing the regional office of the Emergencies Ministry, says the blast hit the Raspadskaya mine on Saturday night and that more than 200 people were working underground at the time.

The state news agencies RIA Novosti and ITAR-Tass cited ministry officials as saying there were either two or four people injured.

The ministry could not immediately be reached for clarification by The Associated Press.

The mine is in the Kemerovo region, about 3000 kilometers (1800 miles) east of Moscow.