A coal mine explosion in war-torn Eastern Ukraine has left at least one miner dead, over a dozen injured and 32 others missing on Wednesday.

Dozens of miners are believed to be still trapped nearly 4,000 ft. underground. Earlier reports said 30 miners were killed, but officials refuse to confirm the figures.

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Initial probe indicates the blast that occurred in the Zasyadko mine in the rebel-controlled Donetsk region was caused by methane gas. The explosion happened at about 6:00 a.m. when some 230 employees were already working at the site.

Out of the 230 worker, about 157 were evacuated including the 14 people who were hurt. Rescue teams are scrambling to search for more survivors, but they say the chances of finding survivors are slim. 

While the blast was not caused by shelling between Russia-backed separatists and the Ukrainian government, the conflict in the Donetsk region is hampering search and rescue efforts. Ukrainian officials said rebels are blocking rescue efforts at the coal mine. 

Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk had urged Russia to give rescue workers access to the site. 

"You took millions of Ukrainians in Donetsk and Luhansk hostage and are now brutalizing miners' families by not letting in help," state media quoted him as saying.

On Twitter, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko backed calls for rescuers to be allowed in.

"I demand Ukrainian rescue workers and investigators to be granted access at the site of the tragedy," Poroshenko tweeted.

Families of coal mine workers surrounded the mine's entrance as they anxiously wait for any news about their loved ones. One sister of a miner working at the time of the explosion demanded the truth from the company, asking if there are indeed survivors.

One miner who just arrived to work for the morning shift said the coal mine had a long history of safety violations. He added that they work very hard "for peanuts" so they want the site to be safe.

In 2007, an explosion at the same mine killed over a hundred workers.

Coal-mining is a major industry in Donetsk region. When Russia-backed rebels began taking over the region and put up a self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, coal production fell 22 percent.

TagsUkraine war, Russia, Ukraine-Russia, Donetsk, coal mine blast