Mubasher: 13 workers were killed in a methane explosion that hit a coal mine in northeast Czech Republic, a mining company said on Friday.

Among the dead, were 11 Polish nationals, while another 10 miners were injured in the explosion that occurred around 800 metres underground, at the mine near the town of Karvina on Thursday, OKD mining company spokesman Ivo Celechovsky said.

Two of the injured were still in hospital in the city of Ostrava, with one of them in a critical condition, while another miner was hospitalised in Karvina, Czech TV said.

Rescue efforts were continuing on Friday, with a fire in the mine, OKD’s executive director Boleslav Kowalczyk  said.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Czech counterpart Andrej Babis were expected to arrive at the mine on Friday.

“This is a huge tragedy for all Poles and Czechs,” Morawiecki said.

“On this difficult day, we strongly show our solidarity and sense of national community,” he added.