Investigators said the explosion ripped through the Zasyadko mine in the eastern Donetsk region, about 1,000 meters underground. Initially close to 500 miners were trapped, but most were brought to safety.
Nearly two dozen required emergency treatment at a local hospital, many with burn injuries.
Ukraine’s Emergency Situations Ministry told BosNewsLife that for many help came to late. Duty officer Vladimir Gembovich said they have recovered the remains of dozens of miners. “But we are still searching For [dozens of] others. We don’t know their destiny, whether they are dead or alive," he said.
PHONE CALLS
His ministry has been flooded by phone calls from relatives desperate for news of their loved ones. Shocked family members gathered by the mine since Sunday morning. Gembovich said the investigation into the cause of the blast will try to determine what triggered the incident.
"They say it was an explosion of methane [gas] mixed with air," Gembovich said. "But I think an investigation will be carried out afterwards and it will clarify everything."
Experts say the Zasyadko mine, one of Ukraine’s largest, employs some 10,000 people and produces up to 10,000 tons of coal every day. Since 1999 more than 140 miners have lost their lives in accidents at the facility, which has gained a reputation as one of the most dangerous in the country.
SEROUS ACCIDENTS
Among the most serious accidents was a gas leak in September 2006 that killed 13 miners and made dozens more sick. And, in 1999 an explosion there claimed 50 lives, while in 2001 another blast claimed 55 lives. Russian news reports said that on Saturday in the Lenin Mine, also in Donetsk region, one miner died after a section of tunnel collapsed.
It was expected to fuel a debate on the future of mining in Ukraine, where a lack of modern equipment dating back to the 19th century, has made the mines among the world’s most dangerous. Mines must be ventilated to prevent explosions, but some rely on outdated ventilation equipment, officials said. Safety violations and negligence add to the problem
Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, a native of the mining region, visited the site about 450 miles (720 kilometers) southeast of Kiev, pledging to help victims’ families. Missionaries and churches have also been active in Ukraine during several disasters, and it was expected that at least some Christian groups would also add their expertise to helping and supporting families, many of whom live in poverty. (Parts of this BosNewsLife News story also airs on the Voice of America. www.voanews.com ).
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