The News Minute | March 4, 2015 | 2.30 PM IST

At least 32 miners were killed in an explosion at a coal mine in eastern Ukraine, the speaker of the Ukrainian parliament said on Wednesday.

Vladimir Groisman said at the Verkhovna Rada session that the tragedy occurred in the early hours of Wednesday at the Zasyadko coal mine in Donetsk, Tass news agency reported.

A spokesperson for the emergencies ministry of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic earlier said one miner was killed and 14 injured in the explosion.

"According to preliminary reports, 73 miners were trapped underground," the spokesperson said.

IANS