MINEX Forum

Tag: miners

  • Tragedy in Ukrainian Mine: Two Miners Killed in Slurry Breach

    Tragedy in Ukrainian Mine: Two Miners Killed in Slurry Breach

    Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine – A devastating slurry breach in a coal mine in the Dnipropetrovsk region has resulted in the tragic loss of two miners’ lives. The rescue operation, which spanned over 14 days at a depth of 410 meters below the surface, concluded with the recovery of the deceased and a thorough assessment of the disaster site.

    According to the State Emergency Service, rescuers faced immense challenges as they battled a massive volume of slurry – a mixture of water and coal dust – following the breach. The team’s efforts were crucial in not only eliminating the immediate consequences of the accident but also locating the bodies of the two miners who were at the epicenter of the rupture. The search and evacuation operation was conducted under extraordinarily difficult conditions.

    “The operation was complicated by the large volume of slurry,” stated the State Emergency Service. “Employees of the plant, miners, and mine rescuers had to perform a colossal amount of work: pumping water from flooded horizons, handling and hauling away the slurry, searching for and evacuating the bodies of the deceased.”

    Investigators are currently working to determine the precise cause of the slurry breach and will focus on bolstering production safety protocols at the mine.

  • Tragedy at the “Kostenko” Mine: the names of the miners who will be buried on October 31 have become known

    Tragedy at the “Kostenko” Mine: the names of the miners who will be buried on October 31 have become known

    Mourning continues in the Karaganda region for the miners lost in the Kostenko Mine accident. Funerals have commenced, with 14 workers interred on October 30th both in Karaganda city and surrounding towns. Many of the deceased had previously served at other company facilities.

    Further farewells are scheduled over the next two days, with the bulk planned for this coming Tuesday. Through social networks, eight additional memorial services have been noted already set for October 31st honouring Marat Fazlov, Olzhas Kamiev, Askhat Sapargaliev, Vladimir Kataman, Damir Kalimullin, Ivan Menikov, Akynzhan Orakbayev and Yuri Polovinka.

    The local administration and ArcelorMittal Temirtau are aiding the families in funeral arrangements. It remains that an explosion inferred to have resulted from a methane blast transpired on October 28th, with 45 bodies recovered and one miner still searched for. The first names released bring some solace amidst this tragedy which the President strongly condemned. A criminal inquiry has rightly commenced as the ownership transfer process continues.

  • Dive deep for Istria’s latest tourist attraction: Raša mine

    Dive deep for Istria’s latest tourist attraction: Raša mine

    After a year and a half of intensive renovation, the former coal mine at Raša in eastern Istria has been reopened, repurposed as a tourist attraction. The local municipality has invested €870,000 into this authentic mining museum, 1.5 kilometres of accessible tunnel that welcomed its first visitors this July.

    Along with the museum, a miner’s lodging was also built, an authentic evocation of the miner’s everyday life, both inside and outside the mine.

    The Kova Experience tour lasts 2.5 hours and shows every aspect of the miner’s hard and dangerous work. Currently tours are only given in Croatian, with English-friendly ones available through Arsiana (Croatian-only) or email info@arsiana.hr.

    This tourist project, in addition to reviving the history and industrial heritage of Raša, highlights the importance of mining activity in the area, which dates back to the Venetians. After World War I, and Italy taking power in Istria, in 1935 Mussolini approved a loan of five million lire to construct the Raša settlement from scratch. The entire town was built in just 547 days and is an architectural and industrial curiosity in its own right. From 1928 to 1966, more than 10,000 miners worked here.

    Paula Bosančić