Six coal miners were killed and 37others still trapped under a coal mine Saturday morning in Russia's Kemerovo region following an explosion at around 02:55 Moscow time (2355 GMT Friday), Itar-Tass reported.

A total of 51 miners were under the Taizhina coal-mine in the Kemerovo region at the time of the accident. Five of them managed to claw their way out to the surface.

Aman Tuleyev, governor of the coal mining region, has arrived at the mine to oversee rescue operations, Itar-Tass said.

The suspected methane explosion was the first major accident atthe mine, where 600 miners work.

Source: Xinhua