Moscow, Jumada I 14, 1436, March 05, 2015, SPA -- At least 32 workers were killed in Wednesday's coal mine explosion in eastern Ukraine, authorities confirmed Thursday, dpa reported. Casualty figures from the methane gas blast might rise as rescuers continue searching the Zasyadko mine, the Donetsk region's pro-Kiev government said. Russian-backed separatists in the city of Donetsk, where the mine is located, confirmed the numbers and said Thursday that one coal miner was missing. A mining safety expert in the region said that the most likely cause for the blast was a violation of safety rules, the Interfax news agency reported. There has been a string of deadly accidents in the region's mines in past years. --SPA 14:14 LOCAL TIME 11:14 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w