25 Dead, 28 Missing After Methane Explosion in South Africa Coal Mine

SECUNDA, South Africa — At least 25 people were killed after a methane blast ripped through a South African coal mine and rescue workers were searching for a further 28 missing men today.

A spokesman for the mine at Secunda, 80 miles east of Johannesburg, said specialized rescue teams had recovered the bodies of 25 mine workers shortly after dawn today, more than 16 hours after the explosion.

“The search teams are reporting more finds, as they go further into the sections where the fire took place,” said Richard Hughes, spokesman for the mining company, Sasol Ltd.

Mine spokesman Gert van Deventer said it was not yet known if the force of the explosion had killed the miners, or whether they had died from asphyxiation or other causes.

He said it was unlikely the blast had caused a major rockfall. The main problem facing survivors and rescue workers was lack of oxygen.

Rescuers were trying to set up emergency ventilation systems underground to clear away toxic gases, van Deventer said.

The mine, on the East Rand, has an average depth of 425 feet. Sasol converts coal into oil and gas.