Workers of Yubileinaya mine search for their friends in the lists of miners killed by methane explosion.
Photo:
| Other Photos |
 |
|
 |
Nature Hides Evidence
// Fire concealed the causes of tragedy in Yubileinaya mine
First funerals of the miners who died of methane explosion in Yubileinaya mine, owned by Yuzhkuzbassugol company, will take place in Novokuznetsk on Saturday. Governor of Kemerovo region Aman Tuleev said that not people, but nature is guilty of the tragedy, thus it is unnecessary to revoke Yuzhkuzbassugol’s license. Meanwhile, specialists of the Russian Federal Service for Ecological, Technical and Atomic Supervision might fail to enter the site of accident at all. Fire began there on Friday. If it does not die out by itself, water will be poured in, and the section will be blocked off with brattices.
The investigative group of the prosecutor’s office and the specialists of the Russian Federal Service for Ecological, Technical and Atomic Supervision could not examine the section of the mine at the depth of 520 meters, where 38 miners were killed by explosion on Thursday. Methane filled the section, and began burning on Friday morning. The fire might die out by itself in a couple of days.
If it keeps burning, the section of the mine will be filled with water and blocked off with brattices. In this case, the investigators will not be able to examine the site of accident. They will have to rely only on instrument indications, technical documents, and testimonies of miners and mine rescuers who were in that section on May 24th.
The identification of the dead was held in Novokuznetsk on Friday. The victims’ relatives made final preparations for the funerals. Kuzbass authorities proclaimed Saturday the day of mourning. On Saturday, 35 miners will be buried in Novokuznetsk, 2 in Osinniki, and 1 in Novokuznetsk region.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of May 26, 2007
|
|
|
