[3] According to independent Russian news agency Interfax, the last inspection of the Listvyazhnaya mine took place on 19 November.

[1][5] After the accident, law enforcement officials stated that the miners had previously complained about the high levels of methane in the mine.

[1][6] The incident happened after coal dust from a ventilation shaft caught fire, resulting in a blast that filled the mine with smoke.

[8][9][10] The rescue operations were later suspended after high levels of methane were detected in the mines, increasing the chance of an explosion.

[11] The head of Russia's Independent Miners' Union, Alexander Sergeyev, blamed the accident on carelessness towards safety rules by mine owners and management.