Checks revealed almost 450 violations at mines in Kuzbass | News from Germany about Russia

Checks organized after the tragedy at Listvyazhnaya in the Belovsky urban district of the Kemerovo region revealed 449 violations in other mines in the region. This was announced on Monday, November 29, at the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation. “180 cases of administrative offenses were initiated,” the department said. A total of 31 mines were inspected.

Among the violations are the lack of modernization of the positioning systems of miners and transport, understaffing, an inoperative system for delivering people to the sites, and inconsistency in production patterns.

In addition, in a number of places, safety briefings were not carried out, miners were not provided with personal protective equipment and overalls, and the work and rest regime was not followed. A faulty electrical wiring was identified, as well as inconsistency with fire evacuation plans. A criminal case of negligence has been initiated, the defendants have been remanded in custody.

The number of people injured in the accident reaches 92

Meanwhile, as TASS was told in the medical services, the number of victims of the accident at the Listvyazhnaya mine in the Kemerovo region has grown to 92, 35 of them are mine rescuers. 51 people died: 46 workers and five rescuers.

Accident at “Listvyazhnaya”

On the morning of November 25, a fire broke out at the Listvyazhnaya coal mine in the Belovsky urban district of the Kemerovo region. According to the Russian Emergencies Ministry, at that time there were 285 miners underground. Rostekhnadzor reported that an explosion was recorded at the mine in one of the ventilation drifts.

The director of the Listvyazhnaya mine, Sergei Makhrakov, his first deputy, Andrei Molostvov, and the site manager, Sergei Gerasimenok, were arrested in the case of the death of the miners. A case was initiated under a criminal article on violation of industrial safety requirements, which, through negligence, resulted in the death of two or more persons.

In Kuzbass, a three-day mourning was declared for the victims.

The Listvyazhnaya mine has been owned by the SDS-Ugol holding since 2011. According to data from open sources, accidents occurred on it twice: on January 24, 1981 – an explosion of methane in the accumulating drift (five people died) and on October 28, 2004 – an explosion of a methane-air mixture (13 people died).

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Historic mine
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Life in Donbass Gold: decline, mines and war
Frontline miners
Anton (left) and Andrey (right) have been working at the mine all their lives. Life is difficult for both of them – they are not paid their salaries for months. Andrei, however, is a little easier – he already receives a pension and is not so dependent on his salary. He says that he sees no future either in work at the mine or in life in Zolote. However, he does not want to leave his hometown. Black circles around Anton’s eyes are from coal dust.

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Memories of the “golden era”
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Author: Nikolay Berdnik