A view of the Kostenko coal mine, as a rescue operation continues following a mine fire, in Karaganda, Kazakhstan, October 28, 2023. /Reuters
At least 33 people were killed in a fire at the Kostenko mine in Kazakhstan's Karaganda Region, Kazinform news agency reported on Saturday.
The report added that 13 miners are still trapped in the mine as the rescue operation remains ongoing.
Earlier Saturday, regional governor Yermaganbet Bulekpayev said the fire in the mine broke out in the morning. Operator ArcelorMittal Temirtau, the local unit of the Luxembourg-based steelmaker, said 206 of 252 people at the Kostenko mine had been evacuated.
No cause of the accident has been announced yet, with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev saying an investigative commission would be set up.
(With input from agencies)