Miners in a swath of southwestern Siberia are being told to leave their shafts after a strong earthquake shook the region.
No injuries or damage have been reported from the quake, which had a preliminary magnitude reading of 6.6 and hit late Tuesday.
The epicentre was about 100km east of Kyzyl, capital of the Russian republic of Tuva that borders Mongolia, according to the US National Earthquake Information Center and Russian seismologists.
Russian news agencies quoted Emergencies Minister Sergei Shoigu as saying miners in the coal-producing regions of Kemerovo and Khakassia were being taken out of the mines.
In Kyzyl, residents of multistory buildings who were concerned about aftershocks were being allowed to spend the night in schools, the state news agency RIA Novosti reported.
AP