60 dead in Russian mine blast, 30 missing

Thirty Siberian coal miners are buried so deep in Russia's largest underground coal mine that rescuers use up most of their oxygen tanks trying to reach them and can't spend much time searching for the missing men, the regional governor said Tuesday.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin traveled to the Raspadskaya mine, about 3,000 kilometers (1,900 miles) east of Moscow, to observe rescue operations, and he raised a series of sharp questions about mine safety and whether the initial rescue work was conducted improperly. (AP)