ALMATY, Dec 5: Twenty-three coal miners died on Sunday when a methane gas blast tore through a mine owned by a global Indian steel producer in the Central Asian republic of Kazakhstan, the latest accident to strike the Soviet-era industry.

The explosion tore through one of the tunnels some 50 metres below ground as the night shift crew arrived for work at the Shakhtinskaya mine in the central steppe region of Karaghandy.

"Eighty-seven people were in the mine at the time, of whom three were injured and 23 died - a commission has been formed that is working on establishing the cause," Zhanibek Sadykanov, spokesman said.

One of the injured miners is in serious condition, while another suffered moderate injuries and the third has been discharged from hospital, Sadykanov said. Kazakh Prime Minister Daniel Akhmetov is heading a commission charged with looking into the accident, a spokesman for Kazakhstan's emergencies agency said.

Kazakhstan's mines have not been known for the kind of regular mining disasters seen in Russia and Ukraine, but have nonetheless seen a number of deadly incidents. -AFP