A tragic rock collapse at the Polkowice-Sieroszowice copper mine in Poland’s Lower Silesia region has claimed the life of a 37-year-old miner and left two others injured, mine operator KGHM confirmed on Sunday.
The incident occurred just after 9 p.m. on Saturday evening near a water retention basin within the underground mine. Three miners were working in the affected area when the collapse happened. While two of them were promptly rescued and transported to hospital with minor injuries, the third miner was initially unaccounted for.
Following an overnight search and rescue operation, the man’s body was found early Sunday morning. “Unfortunately, it turned out that there was a fatal accident,” a KGHM spokesperson stated, extending condolences to the miner’s family. The company has declared three days of mourning.
A special commission will be formed to investigate the cause of the collapse and determine any necessary safety or procedural changes. The Polkowice-Sieroszowice mine is one of Poland’s major copper producers, extracting approximately 12 million tonnes of ore annually.
