KYIV, August 5 – Experts investigating a mine blast that killed 20 miners in eastern Ukraine said Saturday that preliminary conclusions showed demolition work that violated safety norms was the likely cause of the accident. Eighteen victims of Wednesday’s explosion were buried Saturday, and President Leonid Kuchma declared an official day of national mourning. The other two miners had been buried on Friday. State flags with black ribbons were lowered to half-staff in the capital Kyiv and other cities. All entertainment events have been canceled.
A government commission led by Deputy Prime Minister Oleh Dubyna said it was investigating three other versions of the blast in addition to the demolition work, the State Labor Safety Committee said. Officials said they would publicize their final conclusions after visiting blast area, which was unreachable while cleanup operations continued.
The explosion, more than 1,000 meters (3,300 feet) underground in the Zasiadko mine in Donetsk, killed all 20 miners working in the blast zone. The Zasiadko mine was once considered one of region’s most profitable and well-equipped, but conditions have there worsened. Wednesday’s blast was the third deadly accident at the mine since 1999.
The State Labor Safety Committee closed five mines and sections of 163 others in the Donetsk region after conducting 262 safety checks on Friday. A total of 79 mines have been temporarily closed since Monday for safety violations, the committee said. Eleven of the closed mines were allowed to resume working Saturday, the committee said.
The regional miner’s union said accidents occur due to lack of funding and appealed to president to give more subsidies to the mining sector, the Interfax news agency reported. “Miners expected the real financial assistance from president and the government, additional budget funds for creation of work safety, but have heard another thing: don’t wait for help, we’ll close the mines,” the union said in its statement, according to Interfax.
Ukraine’s mines are considered among world’s most dangerous due to negligence of safety rules and cuts in subsidies. At least 187 Ukrainian miners have been killed on the job so far this year and some 3,700 have been killed since 1991.
