At least one mine worker died and several got trapped after an explosion at a coal mine in war-torn eastern Ukraine today.

Ukraine parliament Speaker Volodymyr Groysman earlier told lawmakers that 32 people had died, but he backtracked from his statement, saying he could only confirm one death.

The Donetsk region where the mine is located is controlled by rebels and they confirmed that only one worker has died. The rebels, however, said that some miners were still trapped.

The rebels released a statement saying that he blast occurred at a depth of more than 1,000 meters and that 230 workers were in the mine at the time. The statement added that a mixture of gas and air caused the horrific accident. Local officials said that 157 people had been safely taken out from the mine.

According to Sky, the mines in Donetsk are among the most dangerous in the world as 300 men die in this region in an average year due to accidents.

Rebel authorities asserted that the Zasyadko mine accident was not caused by shelling. It is notable that the eastern parts of Ukraine has been facing instability for past few months due to the fighting between government forces and Russian-backed rebels. The conflict has claimed more than 6,000 lives so far.

"For now, I can say only that 32 people are below ground. One person has died," Ivan Prikhodko, administrative head of the Kiev district, where the affected mine is located, told Donetsk News Agency. "Until rescuers get to them, speaking about how many people have died would be unethical to say the least."

A rescue services representative at the mine, Yuliana Bedilo, also confirmed that only one death had been confirmed. "Fourteen people have been sent to medical treatment centers in Donetsk," rebel authorities said in their statement.