Russia’s state safety watchdog Rostekhnadzor has partially halted work at 12 Russian mines after safety checks following a mine blast that killed 108 people, the Reuters news agency reported on Tuesday quoting Rostekhnadzor head.

“As of today work has been stopped at 29 … coalfaces at 12 mines in the region,” Andrei Malakhov said. The region is a coal-mining centre.

The mines where work had been stopped included three operated by Yuzhkuzbassugol, owner of the mine where last week’s accident happened.

Last Monday’s explosion at the Ulyanovskaya mine, also in the Kemerovo region, was the deadliest mining accident in Russia since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union. Two miners are still missing underground.

The accident has brought safety standards in Russia’s coal mines under intense scrutiny. Industry insiders say workers routinely cut corners on safety to meet production quotas.

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