At least 32 people died in the Kostenko coal mine fire in Kazakhstan on Saturday, the country's Ministry for Emergency Situations said.
The search for 14 other miners is continuing, the authorities said. According to the Kazakh presidential office, 252 people were believed to have been inside the coal mine operated by ArcelorMittal Temirtau when the fire, which appears to be caused by a methane gas leak, occurred.
"This company has turned out to be the worst in our history from the point of view of cooperation with the government," Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said, ordering the government to halt investments with ArcelorMittal Temirtau. The country's government later said it was working on "finalizing" a deal to nationalize the company.
