In the worst mining accident in Russia in years, 52 people died in western Siberia. 46 miners and six rescuers were killed, said the governor of the Kemerovo region, Sergei Tsivilev, on Friday. 38 miners and eleven rescue workers are still being treated in hospitals – most of them for inhaling toxic gases.
An explosion had occurred in the mine on Thursday morning – at a depth of 250 meters. Shortly afterwards, the authorities initially spoke of eleven fatalities. There were still 35 workers underground. They were later pronounced dead. According to the civil defense, 239 people were rescued from the “Listwjaschnaja” shaft in the Kuznetsk coal basin (Kuzbass).
The condition of the miners in the shaft was unclear for hours. The mine passages were heavily filled with smoke and the workers could not save themselves. The search work had to be temporarily interrupted hours after the accident due to the risk of explosion. In addition, contact with the rescue workers was broken, and 30 helpers were missing in the meantime.
The area around the mine, which opened in 1954 and is located about 3000 kilometers east of the capital Moscow, has been cordoned off. Psychologists looked after relatives. Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his condolences to the relatives of the victims of the “tragedy” and ordered aid to the bereaved and survivors.
The likely cause is the methane gas explosion, said the governor. “The exact cause will be determined by a commission.” The underground search work should only be continued when the risk of explosion has been averted. An additional shaft is to be drilled in the next three days to clear out possible fires.
According to the investigators, the 47-year-old mine director, his deputy and a department head were arrested. You would have to answer for violating work regulations. The governor ordered a review of all mines in the area and a three-day mourning – from Friday to Sunday.
Life-threatening work underground
Working in coal mining in Russia is considered life-threatening. Serious accidents occur time and again due to violations of elementary safety regulations. Methane gas often explodes. The highly flammable mine gas is released during work in the mining industry and, if the ventilation is poor, it collects in the shafts underground. In the mine now affected, there was an explosion in 2004 with 13 deaths.
In March 2007, a total of 107 people died in the city of Novokuznetsk in Siberia in the worst mining accident in Russia in recent years. There were 91 deaths in 2010 in two methane explosions in the town of Mezhduretschensk in Siberia.
For the raw material superpower Russia, coal mining is an important source of income alongside oil and gas. According to official statistics, last year 402.1 million tons were extracted, some of which also went to Germany. Environmentalists blame the mining industry in particular for massive environmental pollution in Siberia.