Russia and the Czech Republic : Many Dead in two mining accidents just before Christmas

just before Christmas, have shaken two serious mining accidents in Russia and the Czech Republic, and at least 22 miners cost the lives of. On Saturday mine to the West of the Urals, nine workers died in a fire in a Russian potash. Their bodies were only discovered on Sunday in different parts of the tunnel, as the authorities of the Perm Region, and rescue workers said, according to Russian media.

The authorities believe that the fire was in construction work. Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered that the families of the victims will be compensated. The mine is located in Solikamsk, about 1200 kilometers away from Moscow. The Monday, Christmas eve, was declared a day of mourning.

on Saturday in 340 metres and depth of the outbreak of fire had cut off the men on the way back from the Mine. Due to high temperatures and heavy smoke, the rescue could not penetrate the forces in time to reach them. A total of 17 workers were in the mine when the fire broke out, only eight of them were able to escape unharmed. The authorities opened an investigation for possible violations of the safety regulations. Four employees of the mine had been detained, it said.

The mining company had the chances to rescue the nine seat men early on considered low. You had been with a special protective equipment and oxygen bottles, with the help of which you could only bridge a certain period of time. To stock, no contact at all.

First of all, was the outlet of a methane-as a possible cause of the fire is speculated to have been. The authorities rejected this, and reported on planned Work with concrete on a new shaft in the mine. It was unclear what had triggered the fire. In Russia, it always comes back to fatal accidents in mines.

on Thursday, including twelve poles were killed in a mining accident in the East of the Czech Republic 13 miners died. At a depth of 880 meters, it came to an Explosion and a subsequent fire, against the roughly 200 mine-rescuers had to battle. On Sunday, a spokesman for the operator of OKD said that everything seemed to indicate that the fire was deleted. Special forces of the Mine rescue team would now try to the site of the accident, in order to get a more accurate picture of the situation and recover the dead.

In Poland, the Sunday was celebrated as a national day of mourning. In the Czech Republic, the civilian rang on Saturday country-wide RAID sirens, to remember the victims of the worst mining disaster in the country since 1990. The coal mine in the town of Karvina is situated some 300 kilometres East of Prague, and since 1968 in operation.

mining accident in the Czech Republic at Least 13 Dead in gas explosion in coal mine

In Germany, was on Friday with the mine Prosper-Haniel in Bottrop, the last coal mine was closed. In the coal mine of Ibbenbüren in münsterland, a worker was previously came under the day - two weeks after the closure of the mine. The 29-Year-old was trapped, according to initial findings in a so-called air door and suffered fatal injuries. (dpa)