No one injured in fire in Kazakh coalmine
ASTANA. April 27 (Interfax) - Nobody was injured when a fire broke out 30 meters underground in the Kostenko coalmine belonging to ArcelorMittal Temirtau's coal department in Kazakhstan's Karaganda region on Tuesday, the Kazakh Emergency Situations Ministry reported on Wednesday.
The fire started at 12:42 p.m. Astana time on Tuesday, it said.
"As many as 319 people were evacuated from the mine. No casualties have been reported," it said.
Forty-eight people and 12 pieces of machinery from the Komir rescue service plus four people and one vehicle from the Emergency Situations Ministry's regional department were involved in fighting the fire.
A mobile gas analysis lab has been deployed at the scene to monitor the content of gas in the mine.
"This situation is not affecting the production process," it said.
ArcelorMittal Temirtau, the leader of Kazakhstan's mine and metallurgy sector, is affiliated with the international steel concern ArcelorMittal. The company is comprised of a metallurgical complex in Temirtau, eight coalmines in the Karaganda region, and four iron ore mines in the Karaganda, Akmola, and Kostanai regions.
