16 suffer burns, injuries in methane fire at a coal mine in Poland

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WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Doctors said Wednesday that 16 coal miners have suffered burns and injuries from a methane gas fire at a coal mine in southern Poland.

Lukasz Pach, head of the regional ambulance service in Katowice, said 14 of those injured have been hospitalized.

The coal mining company that operates the Knurow-Szczyglowice colliery, the JSW, said the fire started some 850 meters (2,800 feet) below ground level. It was not immediately clear what caused the blaze.

Fourty-four miners have been evacuated from the area, according to Adam Rozmus, a deputy head at the JSW.

Methane in Poland’s coal mines has led to occasional fires and deadly explosions.