Ukraine to mourn victims of Donetsk mine blast on March 5 – Poroshenko decree

09:51, 05.03.2015 1 min read

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 Zasiadko 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 Zasiadko 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 Zasiadko mine, one of Ukraine's largest coal producers, is located in militants-controlled territory.

The latest figures put the death toll from the Zasiadko gas blast at 33.