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18 May, 2009
Six miners are likely dead following a roof collapse at the Novodzerzhynska coal mine in Dzerzhynsk, Donetsk region, on 4 May. In a release issued by the Ukrainian Trade Union Federation, ICEM-affiliated Coal Mining Industry Workers’ Union (PRUPU) President Viktor Turmanov said the disaster was likely “caused by gross safety violations” due to the shift of rock underground.
Three mines died instantly, while three others were rescued after nearly three days underground. The remaining three miners are unaccounted for and their exact underground location was still unknown as of last week. Fourteen miners were working inside the mine at the time of the collapse, with five able to immediately escape.
Turmanov said the search would continue this week, with restoration of the roof needed to carry on with a possible rescue attempt. But after two weeks, it is unlikely the three miners will be found alive. It the area where the roof collapsed, some 250 square metres of rubble accumulated. The tragedy happened 58 metres underground.
Turmanov and PRUPU were instrumental in the days following the deaths in getting Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers to set aside a large sum of money for better safety conditions at the Novodzerzhynska mine, which included compensation to the mining victims’ families.
The mine in eastern Ukraine mine was reorganised last year and became a state enterprise connected to the Coal Industry Ministry of Ukraine.