More than thirty people have been killed and 70 more are trapped following an explosion at a coal mine in rebel held eastern Ukraine.

The blast took place at a mine in the Donetsk region of the country and emergency services have launched a rescue attempt to reach those trapped.

"More than 30 people were killed. Rescue workers have not yet come to the place of the explosion, they are removing the poisonous gas and then will go down," said Vladimir Tsymbalenko, head of the local mining safety service.

The mines in Donbass are among some of the most dangerous in the world due to the high levels of methane and the risk of explosions.

Some 300 men die from mine accidents in the region every year.

The cause of the latest blast is not yet clear.