Kazakhstan's mine fire death toll grows to 45, another miner being searched for

ASTANA. Oct 30 (Interfax) - The death toll in the accident at the Kostenko mine in Karaganda, Kazakhstan has increased to 45, the press service for the Kazakh Emergency Situations Ministry said on Sunday.

"As of 8 p.m. [local time], the bodies of 45 dead miners were found, the search for one miner continues," the Emergency Situations Ministry said in a statement.

It was earlier reported that 42 people died in the accident in the mine.

A fire and an ensuing explosion occurred in the Kostenko mine operated by the ArcelorMittal Temirtau company in the early hours of Saturday. A total of 252 people were in the mine when the accident happened, and the majority of them were brought to the surface.