Updated on
Summary The number of dead in two separate Ukrainian coal mine accidents rose to 32.
An explosion in a mine in the Luhansk region killed at least 24 people and injured two, according to an updated report, two miners remained missing.Eight miners died and four were injured at a state-owned mine in the Donetsk region when a piece of heavy machinery collapsed. Three people were missing.The Luhansk accident was the deadliest in a Ukrainian coal mine since 2007, raising concerns over the industrys safety standards. The blast-hit mine is owned by Ukraines richest man, steel tycoon Rinat Akhmetov.Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko ordered his government to investigate the accidents and develop a new program to ensure miners safety. He published a decree ordering state flags to fly at half mast on Sunday.The Emergencies Ministry said the cause of both accidents had yet to be established.
