- Title: POLAND: Rescuers struggle to reach remaining victims of mine blast in Ruda Slaska
- Date: 22nd November 2006
- Summary: (BN03) RUDA SLASKA, POLAND (NOVEMBER 22, 2006) (REUTERS) AMBULANCE LEAVING MINE PRIESTS LEAVING MINE CANDLES AT MINE ENTRANCE
- Embargoed: 7th December 2006 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Poland
- Country: Poland
- Topics: Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes,Industry
- Reuters ID: LVA2I0F9FEPSP6SZ7SEKZKPHOO3D
- Story Text: Emergency crews worked through the early hours of Wednesday (November 22) to try and rescue 15 miners trapped with little or no air in a deep coal mine in Poland after an explosion killed at least eight other men.
More than 70 rescuers using heavy digging and cutting equipment raced to tunnel towards the men in a shaft beneath the town of Ruda Slaska, about 300 km (190 miles) southwest of the capital Warsaw, after Tuesday's blast.
A spokesman for the state-run Polish Coal Co. said it was impossible to say if the rescuers would reach the 15 before the last of their air ran out.
The men were trapped in the shaft after a massive explosion, probably caused by methane gas, at about 4:30 p.m. (1530 GMT) on Tuesday, officials said.
The temperature in the shaft was about 40 degrees Celsius and rescuers were able to stay inside tunnels for only about half an hour before coming up for air.
Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski flew to the mine to watch rescue efforts and promised help for the families of the miners.
"If it comes to the worst I will make a decision concerning the families. This is in case it comes to the worst, but we should always have hope that these miners are alive and that we will be able to reach them." he told reporters.
Officials said all the trapped miners were equipped with personal breathing apparatus and had been trained to cope with accidents, but even with this training it was not clear how long they could hold out without help from outside.
Families of the trapped miners gathered at the mine as officials read out names of the missing men.
"We are constantly living in fear for our close ones. When my husband leaves for work all the time I think if he will be back. I was worried about my husband, but now I am worried for my son-in-law, he was down there. This is our life." said Maria Makowska.
A spokesman for the coal mine in the town of Ruda Slaska, around 300 km (190 miles) southwest of the capital Warsaw, said rescue work was in progress but was likely to take some time.
Miner Andrzej Labus, who was in a nearby mine shaft under ground when the blast occurred, told Reuters he had heard a loud explosion and feared the worst.
"There was a huge blast and suddenly everything turned black. We were terribly scared," he said.
Families of the trapped miners gathered at the head of the mine as news of the blast spread.
"Me and my son we are waiting for my husband," said Barbara Luczakiewicz, the wife of one of the trapped men. "We hope he will get out of there. I am very scared but I haven't lost hope.". A few minutes later her husband, Waldemar came out of the mine.
The mine, Halemba, is one of the oldest in Poland and has been in operation since 1957.
It lies at the heart of Silesia's industrial belt and has seen several disasters in the past. In 1990, 19 miners were killed in the same pit after a gas explosion.
The town of Ruda Slaska has also suffered deaths from its other mines and as recently as July four miners were killed in another incident in a different pit, Polish television reported.
The mine, Halemba, is one of the oldest in Poland and has been in operation since 1957. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
