Russian media: 52 killed in mining accident

The explosion in the Listvjazhnaya mine took place 250 meters underground, and eleven workers were confirmed dead shortly after.

35 other miners were reported missing, and heavy smoke development and the risk of explosion led to the rescue work having to be stopped.

According to the state news agencies Tass and Ria Novosti, six rescue workers lost their lives in an attempt to reach the missing, and the accident thus claimed a total of 52 lives.

239 workers were rescued from the smoky mine tunnels, and over 40 of them have been sent to hospital with injuries.

Sources in the emergency services tell Russian media that the hope of finding survivors down in the mine is now gone, and they point out, among other things, that the workers only have enough oxygen for six hours and have probably died as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Arrested

According to Ria Novosti , referring to the website of the Russian Federation’s Investigation Committee, the 47-year-old director of the mine was arrested after the accident, along with his deputy commander and another leader.

The three are charged with violating the provisions of the Russian Penal Code on safety requirements for dangerous production facilities that have resulted in unintentional death, it is said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has condoled the bereaved and asked the authorities in the area to take care of both them and the survivors of the accident.

Methane gas

The cause of Thursday’s mining accident is not known, but it is believed that a spark ignited methane gas. Accidents happen just as they do in Russian mines, where safety and working conditions are often poor and the equipment used is old and worn.

After 36 miners died in a similar accident in 2016, the authorities investigated the conditions in the country’s 58 coal mines. 20 of them were labeled as potentially dangerous, but the Listvjazhnaya mine was not among them at the time, according to Russian media.