Anina miners died intoxicated with carbon monoxide, says preliminary report
Alecs Iancu
Preliminary investigations into the Anina mine explosion indicated that the seven miners who lost their lives in the accident died intoxicated with carbon monoxide, which resulted from the firing and burning of the methane gas accumulated in the mine.
A press release from the Caras Severin Prosecutor's Office yesterday includes the preliminary findings of the investigation into what caused Saturday's blast. In the explosion at Europe's deepest mine, seven miners died and five others were severely injured.
According to the release, the methane gas accumulation in the mine exceeded accepted limits. The gas likely flared up because of a short circuit in a cable that was part of the detonation device used in the mining process, the report said.
However, prosecutors are considering other hypotheses regarding the ignition of the gas.
Besides the prosecutor's investigation, the National Institute for Mining Safety and Anti-explosive Protection has begun a separate inquiry to establish the exact causes of the blast. The release also states that the Labor Ministry has started its own investigation in the case.
Anina miners said the fuse was found intact in the mine at the scene of the accident, which means that it could not have been responsible for the gas explosion. This may confirm prosecutor's hypothesis that a short circuit caused the blast.
Also yesterday, the seven miners who died in the blast were buried, as doctors from the Timisoara County Hospital, where the injured miners were taken, said they were optimistic about the patients' chances to fully recover.
The death of the seven miners has reopened debate on working conditions for miners, especially in small towns where most of the men work in the mine to support their families.
Most miners have criticized the managers of the Anina coal unit for the poor working conditions, saying that this is what caused the accident.
In the meantime, inspectors from the Economy Ministry are investigating both the causes of the explosion and the way the management of the mine spent the money allocated from the ministry.
After the explosion, most miners are afraid to return to work and several have filed requests to be laid off.
The head of the mine, Nicolae Calamariu, said that even most of the miners are considering leaving, yet the mine's activity cannot be halted completely. The mine was closed during prosecutors' investigation. |
