UPDATE 2 – One miner has died after rescuers managed to evacuate 12 men who became trapped after a methane ignition caused a fire at the Krupinski mine in the Silesian town of Suszec, near Pszczyna.

 

The 12 miners received burns while two rescuers are feared dead, as they have no shown no sign of life since attempting to save the remaining miners.

The methane flare-up happened before 20.00 CET on Thursday evening at a depth of 820 metres. 32 miners found themselves in the danger zone, with the majority being able to evacuate safely.

Katarzyna Jablonska-Bajer, spokesperson for Jastrzebska Spolka Weglowa, which owns the mine, announced on Friday morning that two mine rescuers who were working in the danger zone are feared dead.

The two rescuers tried to get through to the trapped miners during the night, although they did not reach the other miners. They lost contact with the ground services, and communication with them was lost.

Twelve miners received severe burns and were transported to hospitals in the region, including the Centre for Burn Treatment (CBT) in Siemianowice Slaskie. It has not yet been reported what condition the miners are in, however.

Emergency services managed to reach the last five injured miners over four hours after the initial blast, with continued efforts to bring them up to the surface throughout the night.

One miner from the group was transported to the CBT at around 03.00 CET this morning.

Temperatures reaching around 45 degrees Celsius, as well thick smoke hampered rescue efforts. Miners had access to a ventilation shaft, however.

Meanwhile, mine supervisors have not called the fire an ‘explosion’, but a localised methane ignition. The last such fire, in which no miners were injured, occurred in mid-March at the Staszic mine in Katowice.

The last catastrophe in which 20 miners died as a result of a methane explosion happened on 18 September 2009 at the Wujek mine. (jb/pg)

Source: IAR/PAP