Death toll in Russia gold mine fire at 25

MOSCOW — Rescuers early today recovered the bodies of the last of 25 miners killed by a fire in a Siberian gold mine, while Russia’s top emergency official suggested a delay in reporting the underground blaze was a fatal mistake.

The bodies of the last four miners, who had been missing since the fire broke out Thursday in the Darasun mine some 3,000 miles east of Moscow, were found Sunday, Emergency Situations Ministry spokesman Natalya Lukash said.

Their bodies were brought to the surface this morning, Russian media reported. Regional authorities said the Chita province would mark today as a day of mourning.

Of the 64 workers in the mine when the blaze began, 31 made it to the surface within hours.