Serbian government declares day of mourning after mine blast kills 29

The government of Serbia has declared a day of mourning following the death of twenty-nine miners in an explosion at a coal-mine at Soko Banja in the south-east of the country.

A further nineteen men were injured while another twenty-eight were brought to the surface unhurt a few hours after the blast.An investigation is underway to discover the cause of the explosion, although initial reports said it was due to a build-up of methane gas.

The BBC Belgrade correspondent says mining accidents in southern Serbia are not unusual and that the region is poor, with little hope of receiving the necessary investment to improve safety standards.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service