Relatives identify 48 bodies of Siberian mine blast victims

"According to the operational headquarters, as of 8:00 a.m. Moscow time, the death toll at Raspadskaya was 66 people. Of those, 49 have been taken to the surface and 48 identified. The search for 24 miners continues," the emergencies ministry representative said.

Two explosions occurred four hours apart overnight on May 8-9 at Russia's largest coalmine. The second explosion was much stronger and killed rescuers who had gone into the tunnels after the first blast.

The official added that the latest information showed that 130 people had received medical care following the accident, and 103 were still in hospitals.

On Wednesday, 33 victims were transferred from the hospital in Mezhdurechensk, where the mine is located, to a specialized center for miners in the city of Leninsk-Kuznetsky. Most of the injured will be transported to the city hospital in Novokuznetsk, Kazinform refers to RIA Novosti.

See www.en.rian.ru