Nine workers were found dead Dec. 23 after having been trapped underground by smoke after a fire occurred at an Uralkali potash mine in Solimansk on Dec. 22, according to the Russian media. Uralkali was quoted as saying the miners were employees of a subcontractor doing maintenance work. Reportedly, 17 people were in the mine when the fire started. Eight were safely evacuated.
Interfax reported that the blaze was still to be fully extinguished.