Rescue operation after gas blast kills 8 miners

[Jaga]

RUDA SLASKA, Poland: Fear of a second gas explosion was slowing efforts to find 15 coal miners missing 1,000 meters (3,300 feet) underground after a blast that killed at least eight of their colleagues.

The accident happened Tuesday afternoon as the men, aged between 21 and 59, were retrieving equipment from a dangerous section of the Halemba mine in the southern city of Ruda Slaska.

Grzegorz Pawlaszek, head of the state-owned Coal Co., said rescue teams had recovered seven bodies from the scene of the blast. Another body had been located but could not be reached because the high concentration of methane gas meant there was the risk of
www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/11/22/europe/EU_GEN_Poland_Mine_Accident.php

[Jaga]

Polish mass media talk about the accident almost all the time. My one grandfather was a miner. My other grandfather was a mining engineer. He published some books about the danger of gas releases in the mines - this is what happened in this mine.

The emergency action has been suspended for now since it is too dangerous to operate underground.

Here is a real story of one of my grandfathers:
Polish Legends - Skarbnik - Miner's Guardian
culture.polishsite.us/articles/art11.html

[jimpres]

All,

Latest report is 6 have been killed and 17 are missing.
Fire is preventing rescue. Ages from 20 to 60.

Jim

[bescheid]

What a terrible accident, and to happen at such a depth {1000 meters}. Just unimaginable of the feelings that must be with the trapped miners. For methane gas disposal, there must be ventilation equipment specialized for gas evacuation for such an incident.

Hopefully, there will not be any additional incidents of injured {or worse, death} to be suffered.

Charles

[zooba]

Unfortunately none of the miners survived the blast - the rescue team found all the bodies today morning.
There is now much discussion about safety in coal mines, the miners' rights, the whole maining sector and whether it is justified to have the most dangerous mines working.

[Jaga]

Zooba,

thanks for the update. One good thing - their death was fast, so they did not need to suffer. I saw in the morning (Polish time) that they reached the bodies of all the miners except one so there were. 22 deaths. As you stated they found the last one - so there is 23 dead.

This is not the first tragedy in the Polish mine this year. They have about 50 miners- victims already on the list.

[scatts]

They were all sent to recover a machine worth $70 million and it was known to be a very dangerous "mission". Now presumably they have lost the equipment and 23 lives! Surely they have insurance for machinery in circumstances such as this?

[Yanc]

Scatts

Let's not be so sure of that. Insurance is quite expensive too.

BTW I am now hearing a warning sirens all over the city (it is 16.30 local)- to commemorate death of the miners. Nation wide mourning also has been announced. Many parties and balls scheduled for Saturday (traditional Andrzejki/Katarzynki) has been canceled around.

Yanc