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Six dead in gas leak at Spain coal mine

Six people have died and five others have been taken to hospital in northwestern Spain after a gas leak at a coalmine.

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Source: AAP


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A gas leak at a coalmine in northwestern Spain killed six people.

Five others have been taken to hospital in Leon in northwestern Spain after the gas leak at the Santa Lucia mine.

"There seems to have been a leak of methane gas," Francisco Castanon, the mayor of the municipality of Pola de Gordon where the mine is located, told local television on Monday.

Spain's coal mining sector has been contracting for decades, with a reduction in government mining subsidies hastening the closure of unprofitable mines.

Around 40 coalmines are still in operation, mainly in the north of the country, employing some 8000 miners.

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Like other European countries, Spain has committed to gradually close unprofitable coalmines in the next few years.


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