9 workers trapped by mine fire in Russia's Perm region

MOSCOW, Dec. 22 -- Nine miners were trapped in a mine after a fire broke out in Russia's Perm region near the Ural Mountains, the mine owner said Saturday.

The fire occurred at 10:04 Moscow time (0704 GMT) at the mine site in the city of Solikamsk, according to a statement by the Russian company Uralkali that owns the mine.

A total of 17 people had been blocked in the mine at first, and eight of them were rescued uninjured, Russian media reported, citing a source in the emergencies service.

The fire has not been contained yet and is still blocking the remaining nine trapped workers' exit to the surface, the source said.

The nine people who remain trapped in the mine are employees of a contractor, which is responsible for maintenance work, Uralkali said.

Rescuers along with psychologists, doctors and an ambulance brigade have been sent to the scene of the accident, according to the regional branch of the Russian Emergencies Ministry.

Investigators are working at the scene to determine the cause of the fire.