Dozens feared dead in Ukraine mine blast

A blast at a coal mine in the eastern Ukrainian rebel stronghold of Donetsk is thought to have claimed the lives of at least 32 workers.

The bodies of nine miners have so far been located with the fate of 23 missing colleagues unknown, but they are presumed dead.

"There are victims, currently numbering 32," chairman of Ukraine's parliament told the assembly, describing the explosion at the Zasyadko mine  as a "terrible tragedy".

Mine officials said the explosion was most likely caused by gas and not linked to fighting at the nearby front line in the war between pro-Moscow rebels and Ukraine government forces.

Nevertheless, Kiev suggested the war had made the disaster worse, accusing the separatists of holding up a rescue effort by restricting access.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk said rescue workers had been dispatched by the central authorities, "but the Russian terrorists did not let them reach the scene of the accident," he said, using a term commonly used by Kiev to describe the separatists.

Separatist authorities in Donetsk said in a statement that the blast occurred at a depth of more than 1,000 meters and that 230 workers were in the mine at the time.

The statement said the explosion was caused by a mixture of gas and air - a common cause of industrial mining accidents.

According to the rebel officials, at least 157 miners have been evacuated from the mine.

The Zasyadko mine was the site of another accident in 2007 when more than 100 miners were killed in a methane explosion

Al Jazeera and wire services