Ukrainian mine blast kills 19

President Kuchma has sent his condolences to the victims' families

DONETSK, Ukraine -- Rescuers at the site of the latest Ukraine mine disaster are continuing to search for at least one miner thought to be trapped in a shaft where 19 colleagues died.

The miners died after a methane gas explosion on Wednesday evening at the Zasyadko mine in Donetsk, the heartland of Ukraine's Donbass coalfield.

The mining tragedy is the country's third in a month and comes as the public are still in shock over what was world's worst air show disaster at the weekend, when 83 died in the western city of Lviv.

The Interfax Ukraine news agency reported the miners were drilling and blasting when the explosion occurred.

An Emergencies Ministry spokeswoman in Kiev, 700 km (450 miles) to the west, said one miner had been rescued from the shaft and taken to hospital. But the fate of another was still unknown.

Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma on Thursday offered his condolences to the friends and families of the victims.

Earlier on Wednesday, Ukraine's work safety agency suspended work in 43 mines for violations of safety regulations in light of the recent accidents.

Safety protests

The State Labour Safety Committee conducted 544 checks at mines this week, and officials suspended activity at 419 parts of other mines.

They ordered a complete stop to work at 43 mines in eastern Ukraine until their management implements proper safety conditions.

About 300 miners died last year and more than 150 have been killed so far this year in the Ukraine.

Just over three weeks ago, 35 miners died in a colliery fire in eastern Ukraine, while two weeks later a further six were killed in a methane gas explosion hundreds of metres below ground at another coal mine.

Hundreds of miners have staged protests in Kiev over safety conditions in the country's coal mines, plagued by poor working conditions and lack of funds for modernisation.

The Zasiadko mine was considered one of region's most profitable and well equipped, even though it has previously seen tragedy.

In August 2001, 55 workers were killed by a methane gas explosion while 50 miners died in a May 1999 at the mine.