Methane gas is believed to be the cause of the explosion. The odorless gas occurs naturally in coal mines, and is very explosive at concentrations between 5 and 14 per cent. It is a particular threat in deep mines; adequate ventilation and air sampling are methods generally employed to prevent ignition.

"This is really the biggest catastrophe in the history of Ukraine's independence, it is a terrible disaster, and it is one of the biggest ever catastrophes at Ukraine's mines," Fuel and Energy Minister Serhiy Tulub declared.

Such accidents have become more frequent since the breakup of the Soviet Union and the "shock treatment" approach to imposing the capitalist free market, which, according to the Reuters news agency, has "forced economic survival to take precedence over safety."

The Ukrainian coal industry has suffered almost complete collapse since 1991 and is the most dangerous in the world. Sixty-three Ukrainian miners died in an explosion in the nearby Donetsk region two years ago. There are some 400,000 coal miners in the Ukraine. The number of miners killed on the job in 1998 was 360 and in 1999 it was 274.

Dmytro Kalitventsev, head of the Independent Miners Union at Barakova, reportedly blamed mine officials for turning a blind eye to safety violations to increase production. Actual output at the mine exceeded capacity, according to Kalitventsev. "These extra tons are paid for with the miners' lives," he told reporters.  
 
 
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