The mine is owned by a global Indian steel producer, Ispat.

The explosion occurred in one of the roadways 50m underground as the night shift crew arrived for work. The bodies of the dead were burnt beyond recognition, only identifiable by the numbers on their helmets, a mine official told local reporters.

"Eighty seven people were in the mine at the time, of whom three were injured and 23 died - a commission has been formed that is working on establishing the cause," Zhanibek Sadykanov, spokesman for Karaghandy's regional administration, told AFX Asia.

One of the injured miners is in serious condition, while another suffered moderate injuries and the third has been discharged from hospital. The mine has meanwhile been closed.

The Shakhtinskaya mine is part of the massive Ispat-Karmet steel production facility, bought by the New York and Amsterdam-listed Ispat in 1995.

Agence France-Presse reported Ispat has bought and renovated ageing facilities in several former Communist bloc countries including Poland and Romania. In Kazakhstan, it won investment from the World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).