Rescue teams have recovered the bodies of all victims of an explosion which killed 20 miners in Slovakia's worst mining disaster, the mine operator said today.
The underground explosion on Monday in a coal mine in Handlova, about 195 km (120 miles) northeast of the capital Bratislava, was suspected to have been caused by a buildup of gases after a coal fire.
"The last of the bodies of the victims was recovered late on Wednesday," said a spokeswoman for Hornonitrianske Bane Prievidza, adding the bodies would be analysed for DNA identification.
Privately held Hornonitrianske Bane Prievidza, the biggest mining firm in the country, said the explosion tore through a section of the pit, about 330 metres below the surface, at 9.30am on Monday.
The government of Prime Minister Robert Fico has set up a committee to conduct a separate investigation of the accident alongside the inquiries by the mining authority and police.
The mine spokeswoman said it could take two to three months before the blast scene was safe for investigators to gain access.
The Handlova mine, with almost 500 employees and a daily production of 800-900 tonnes of high-quality brown coal, stopped mining operations completely after the accident.
Reuters