MOSCOW, March 19 (Xinhua) -- At least nine miners were killed and three others injured when an explosion ripped through a coal mine in Siberia on Monday, the Interfax news agency reported.

    A total of 168 people were believed to be working inside the mine when the blast caused by methane occurred in the Ulyanovskayamine in Novokuznetsk, a city in the Siberian region of Kemerovo. Earlier reports said there were 180 people in the mine.

    Interfax quoted the Emergency Situations Ministry's Siberian regional branch as saying that nine people were killed.

    In addition, at least three people were injured and about 50 others have been evacuated after the blast at about 11:16 a.m. Moscow time (0816 GMT). Rescuers are working to evacuate the rest of the workers trapped in the mine.

    In 2005, 25 people were killed in a blast at another mine in the region.