Search of Ukraine coal mine ends with blast death toll of 17

Officials in rebel-held eastern Ukraine say the death toll from a coal mine explosion is up to 17.

The methane blast took place Thursday at the mine in the village of Yurivka, in the part of the Luhansk region controlled by separatist fighters.

On Friday, four miners were confirmed dead and 13 were listed as missing. The region's emergencies ministry said the search ended Saturday after the bodies of the missing miners were brought above ground.

Parts of the Luhansk region where the explosion happened are under the control of Russia-backed separatists who have fought Ukrainian government troops since 2014. The conflict closed the mine that year but it reopened in 2018.