Thirteen people were killed when an explosion ripped through a coal mine in Kuzbass in western Siberia early Thursday.

The methane blast occurred in the Listvyazhnaya mine in the town of Belov, in the Kemerovo region.

At the time of the explosion, 103 miners were working in the mine. Ninety people were rescued, 23 of them were taken to hospital.

According to the Information Department of the Russian Emergency Ministry, nine rescue brigades were involved in the rescue operation.

Earlier, there were reports that 240 people were working in the mine when the explosion happened, but this information was not confirmed. An investigation was launched into the accident.