Coal mine explosions at western Siberia, Russia, [ 1211 ]

Siberian Mine Blast Kills 12 & Traps 80

The "New Yprk Times", By Ellen Barry., ,Published: May 9, 2010...e

MOSCOW — Twin methane gas explosions killed 12 coal miners and trapped 80 underground in western Siberia on Sunday, under conditions so dangerous that officials called off all rescue operations for fear of sending additional men to their deaths.

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European Pressphoto Agency., Rescue workers searched for survivors at Raspadskaya mine in western Siberia, Russia, after twin coal mine explosions caused by methane gas.

 Prime Minister Vladimir V. Putin — who, like virtually all the country’s leadership, was involved in grandiose celebrations of Victory Day —called the situation “very, very hard” and “tragic.” He ordered the Emergency Situations Minister, Sergei Shoigu, to leave for Siberia to supervise rescue operations.

The first blast rocked one of Russia’s largest coal mines, the Raspadskaya, just before 9 p.m. on Saturday night, when more than 312 workers were inside. Hundreds had made it to the surface when, four hours later, a second blast destroyed the main air shaft, trapping the miners and rescue workers inside amid dangerous levels of methane.

Governor Aman G. Tuleyev, the top official in the Kemerova region, said there was a good chance more explosions would follow.
“To carry out rescue work now means to send people to die,” he said.

Rescue workers will likely not be allowed to enter the mine until Monday, the region’s top emergency official, Yerem Arutyunyan, told the RIA-Novosti news service. He said scientists are monitoring methane levels inside the mine, and workers on the surface are struggling to restore ventilation so the workers trapped inside can breathe.

A reporter at the scene from the Interfax news service said the relatives of trapped miners were agitated, and, during a meeting with rescue officials, were shouting, “They are short of air there,” “Most likely nobody is alive anymore,” and “Tell us the truth!”
Officials tried to assure them that there was still hope, saying the mine was outfitted with modern breathing apparatuses and they were in good order. But they acknowledged that the ventilation system had been destroyed.

The mine, founded in 1973, belongs in part to the steelmaking giant Evraz Group. Evraz’s owners include Roman Abramovich, a billionaire famous for buying London’s beloved Chelsea football club.
Prosecutors announced on Sunday that they have opened a criminal investigation into the causes of the explosion.

In 2007, 108 people were killed after a methane explosion in the same coal-rich area of Siberia, prompting a national day of mourning. Authorities later said that the mine’s management deliberately disabled a methane detector, defying safety regulations in order to boost production. In that case, methane built up to the point where an explosion was sparked by a short circuit.