According to the official, the actual number of people under the ground is 329. They are being evacuated. The reason of the emergency is being investigated.
According to the local news agency, the coal named after Oleksandr Skochynsky started working in 1975. THe miners produce agglomerating coal; over 45 years in service, they mined some 30 million tons of coal. The maximum depth of mining works in 1,350 meters below the ground.
This particular coal mine is considered one of the world’s most dangerous ones. The development of coal veins is complicated by unique geological conditions, high tempertures of veins and refuse stones. There is also high concentration of methane in the local coal veins, and gas bursts are possible.