5 trapped in ArcelorMittal mine in Kazakhstan

Ninety-five workers have been evacuated from the mine and several rescue crews are currently on-site attempting to reach the remaining five miners trapped since early yesterday morning, the emergency ministry said.

No casualties have been reported.

Authorities said the accident was caused by an outburst of coal and methane.

ArcelorMittal Temirtau, the steelmaker's Kazakh subsidiary, has come under fire from Kazakh authorities in the past over its poor safety record. A methane explosion at the company's Abai coal mine killed 31 workers in January, prompting the government to issue threats to revoke ArcelorMittal's operating licence.

In 2006, an explosion at another Mittal-owned coal mine in the region killed 41 people. Authorities concluded the blast was a result of safety violations, and eight workers were convicted of negligence.

The company has insisted that it plans to invest heavily on improving safety conditions at its Kazakh facilities.

ArcelorMittal could not be reached for comment yesterday.