BEIJING, March 20 -- The death toll from a coal mine blast in Russia has risen to 78. More than 40 miners are still underground ten hours after the blast. Rescue work has been hampered by thick smoke and roof collapses.

    The death toll from a methane blast at a Russian coal mine continues to rise.

    A local administration spokesman said 200 people were working inside the mine when the blast happened on Monday. He said 75 of them had been safely evacuated, leaving 47 trapped underground.

    The Ulyanovskaya mine is situated in Novokuznetsk, a city in the Siberian region of Kemerovo.

    Kemerovo Regional Governor Aman Tuleyev said company officials were in the mine examining a British-made safety system, along with a British representative of the company that made the system.

    Aman Tuleyev said, "Today we were to launch an English system to ensure the safety of underground work at this mine. Unfortunately, the chief engineer and all senior managers of the mine were with the representatives of the English firm testing the system."

    President Vladimir Putin has ordered his emergencies minister to fly to the mine to oversee rescue efforts, saying the main task now is to find as many people as possible.

    Officials say there is some uncertainty about what caused the explosion.

    Rescuers are in contact with some surviving miners underground. It is unclear whether they are in any immediate danger.

    Television pictures showed rescue workers in breathing apparatus walking down a shaft into the pit.

Related:

Russian mine blast toll rises to 78

    MOSCOW, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Rescuers were working to evacuate dozens of miners trapped in a Siberian coal mine after 78 people were killed in an explosion at the mine on Monday.      

    (Source: cctv.com)