An explosion ripped through a coal mine in the separatist-held eastern city of Donetsk, Ukraine, early Wednesday morning, killing several miners and leaving dozens more trapped underground and feared dead.

By noon, the authorities were scrambling to evacuate dozens of miners at the Zasyadko mine on the outskirts of the city, several officials of the self-declared Donetsk People’s Republic said by telephone.

“I know of at least two dead and nine injured,” Darya Morozova, a rebel official whose portfolio includes human rights issues, said. “We believe the cause was a methane explosion.”

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http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/05/world/europe/ukraine-donetsk-coal-mine-explosion.html?ref=world