Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has declared March 5 as a national day of mourning for the people killed in a methane gas explosion at the Zasyadko coal mine in Donetsk, according to a decree posted on Poroshenko's website.
"Petro Poroshenko declared March 5 as a day of mourning following the tragic death of miners as a result of the accident, which occurred at Donetsk's Zasyadko mine on March 4," the decree says.
At noon on March 5, a minute of silence will be observed for the victims of this accident all over Ukraine, it says.
On the day of mourning, state flags will be flown at half-mast and all entertainment events, concerts and athletic competitions will be cancelled.
There were 230 people in the shaft at the time of the accident.
The Zasyadko mine, one of Ukraine's largest coal producers, is located in militia-controlled territory.
The latest figures put the death toll from the Zasyadko gas blast at 32.
Donetsk rescuers are trying to unblock the Zasyadko mine where 73 workers have been trapped by an explosion, spokesperson for the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic Emergency Situations Ministry Juliana Bedilo said.
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