ALMATY, Kazakhstan – Twenty-three people died and three others were injured Sunday in an explosion at a coal mine in the Karaganda region, officials said.
Eighty-seven miners were working at the mine in the town of Shakhtinsk (search) about 120 miles south of the capital, Astana (search), when the blast occurred at 3:08 a.m., said regional administration spokesman Zhanibek Sadykanov.
Two injured miners were hospitalized and a third was released after treatment, he said.
President Nursultan Nazarbayev (search) sent a letter of condolence to the families of the victims and ordered the government to pay them compensation, as well as carry out a full investigation, officials said.
Sadykanov said a special commission was investigating the cause of the blast.
Rescue operations were complete and work had started on restoring the mine, which is owned by Kazakhstan's ISPAT-Karmet metal giant, said Nakyp Kapbasov, deputy regional emergencies agency chief.
At least eight people have died in mining accidents in the central industrial Karaganda region this year.
Fox News First
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox.
By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time.