At least 33 dead in Kazakhstan mine accident

At least 33 workers have died in a fire in a coal mine in the Central Asian republic of Kazakhstan.

Another 13 miners were listed as missing after the accident in the industrial city of Karaganda, rescue workers said.

The operating company, multinational firm Arcelormittal, said over 250 workers had been underground when a methane explosion struck the mine shaft.

The blast wave from the explosion spread more than 2 kilometres down the shaft's corridors, the head of the rescue service said.

About 20 injured people had to be treated in hospital after the mine accident, he said, adding that there was little hope of finding any survivors.

The same company had another fatal accident at one of its mines in August. A government-appointed commission held the company responsible for the accident.

Authorities said on Saturday that Arcelormittal had also in this case failed to provide adequate safety measures for the workers.

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev travelled to the site of the accident - the country's deadliest mine disaster in years. He offered his condolences to the families of the victims.

Tokayev also instructed his government to end the investment partnership with Arcelormittal.

Fatal incidents have occurred repeatedly in the company's coal mines. According to official figures, more than 100 people have died at Arcelormittal properties in the past 15 years.

Kazakhstan, which is also rich in oil and gas, is an important supplier of raw materials for many countries.