Natural gas explosion kills seven miners in Kazakhstan
A rescue team has found the bodies of seven workers at the Zhomart mine who were trapped in the collapsed pit in the Ulytau region. Kazakhmys, the company operating the mine, has pledged to provide aid to the victims’ families. According to the enterprise, natural gas could have exploded in the mine.
The search-and-rescue operation has been completed. In the early hours of Feb. 18, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Emergency Situations reported that six bodies had been found, and later in the morning, rescuers found the seventh victim. His identity is currently being confirmed.
«The bodies of the seven workers have been brought to the surface and handed over to the police for forensic examination,» the agency said in a statement.
Preliminary findings indicate that natural gas exploded in the mine.
«According to preliminary data, natural gas exploded, which is an uncommon occurrence in Kazakhmys-operated mines. The causes and circumstances are under investigation,» the company’s press-service stated.
Kazakhmys has pledged to provide all necessary aid to the victims’ families.
«As part of social and financial support, including compensation for emotional damages, the families of the victims will receive 10 times the average annual income of the workers and over two million tenge [approximately $4,000] for burial expenses,» the statement read.
The aid package also includes:
- Monthly benefits for the loss of the breadwinner;
- Tuition fee payment for children;
- Repayment of the victims’ loans and debts;
- Miscellaneous aid at the family’s request.
Following Kazakhstani Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov’s instruction, the governmental commission to investigate the mine collapse has been established. Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev heads the commission.
The incident occurred at the Zhomart mine, owned by Kazakhstan’s mining giant Kazakhmys. On Feb. 17, a rockslide occurred, trapping seven workers and cutting the cable, leaving the victims with no means of communication.
In a separate incident last month, a worker died in another accident at one of the mines owned by Kazakhmys, a company controlled by Kazakhstani tycoon Vladimir Kim.
