In contrast to some mine disasters where re-entry is seen as too dangerous, most of the bodies have already been brought back to the surface.

“Eight miners were buried in a cemetery a few metres from the mine entrance – in a plot which also holds the remains of the victims of back-to-back methane explosions that killed 153 miners in 2007,”Sky News reported.

The mine’s manager read a short speech about each of the eight miners at a funeral on Friday.

However, miners in the crowd “were scathing of the corporate tribute, complaining of harsh working conditions and what they saw as the bosses' general disregard for safety”

“I accuse the mine management of being responsible for this tragedy,” Vladislav, the brother of 30-year-old victim Dmitry Aleksandrov, said.

A retired miner known as “Vasily” was more measured.

“Everybody knows there is a lot of gas at Zasyadko and that ventilation is not the best,” he said.

“It only takes a spark.”