7 killed in mine collapse accident in central Kazakhstan

ALMATY -- Seven people were killed in a mine collapse at the Zhomart mine in the Ulytau region of Kazakhstan on Monday night, the country's Kazinform News Agency reported on Tuesday.

At the time of the accident, seven miners were trapped underground. By Tuesday morning, the bodies of all seven miners had been recovered.

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has ordered the government to thoroughly investigate the causes of the incident, with a special commission established to do so.

Preliminary findings by the mining company Kazakhmys suggested that a natural gas explosion triggered the collapse.