The number of victims of the accident at the mine near Kemerovo has exceeded 50 people | News from Germany about Russia

The victims of the accident at a mine in the city of Belovo, Kemerovo region, were, presumably, 52 people, including six rescuers, said on Thursday, November 25, a representative of emergency services to the RIA Novosti news agency. There is no official confirmation of this information.

“According to preliminary data, no one was left alive in the mine,” said the interlocutor of the TASS news agency. According to the Interfax agency, at least 49 people were injured. The UK said that there was no information about 35 workers.

In the case of the death of miners, the 47-year-old director of the Listvyazhnaya mine, his 59-year-old first deputy and the 36-year-old section manager were detained. This was announced on Thursday, November 25, at the Investigative Committee (IC) of the Russian Federation. A case was initiated under part 3 of Art. 217 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (on violation of industrial safety requirements, resulting in the death of two or more persons by negligence).

Rescue operation suspended

Meanwhile, the search operation at the scene was suspended until the morning of November 26. According to the Acting Head of the RF Ministry of Emergency Situations Alexander Chupriyan, this is due to the deterioration of the gas-dynamic situation in the mine and an increase in the concentration of methane.

Meanwhile, Rostekhnadzor reported that 914 violations were identified in Listvyazhnaya’s work in 2021, its activities were suspended nine times, the total amount of fines exceeded 4 million rubles (about 47,787 euros).

Accidents have already occurred at the mine

The fire, according to the preliminary version, began after the ignition of coal dust in the ventilation drift at a depth of 250 meters, after which smoke spread through the ventilation throughout the mine, where, according to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, there were 285 people. On Thursday, 25 November, over 230 miners were evacuated. According to Deputy Prosecutor General Dmitry Demeshin, a methane explosion could have been the cause of the emergency, and the subsequent dynamic blow injured the miners.

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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Life in Donbass Gold: decline, mines and war
Historic mine
Mine “Zolotoe” is one of two operating in the city. She is over 100 years old. Like most state-owned mines, it is a subsidized enterprise. Now “Zolotoe” is practically on the line of hostilities. In addition, the work is complicated by the flooding of those mines that are located on the territory of the “LPR”. Such flooding poses a huge environmental hazard for the entire region.

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.

Life in Donbass Gold: decline, mines and war
Memories of the “golden era”
A gilded sculpture of a miner in a local park reminds of the past “golden” times. Belonging to the mining profession is still of great importance for self-identification in Donbass. After all, under the Soviet Union, miners had a high social status. Miners are still proud of their profession, which, however, has long lost its former prestige.

Life in Donbass Gold: decline, mines and war
Miner art
The attributes of the mining profession can be seen in Zolote even on the playground. These ladybugs, for example, are made from miner’s helmets.

Life in Donbass Gold: decline, mines and war
Dying city
Problems in Zolote began even before the war – with the decline of the coal industry. In the late 1960s, the city had nearly 28,000 inhabitants. Today – half as much. During the active phase of hostilities in Donbass, which lasted since 2014, the city was constantly under fire. For five years, 16 civilians have died here. Part of Zolote – the village of Zolotoe-5 – is now under the control of the “LPR”.

Life in Donbass Gold: decline, mines and war
Waiting for the withdrawal of troops
It is still unsafe in the front-line areas of the city. The retired spouses Alexander and Tatiana, who live in the village of Zolotoe-4, hope that after the withdrawal of the troops they will shoot less. Local volunteer Marina Danilkina is more skeptical. She fears that after the withdrawal of the Ukrainian troops, the militants of the self-proclaimed “LPR” will take revenge on the inhabitants of Zolote with pro-Ukrainian views.

Life in Donbass Gold: decline, mines and war
Military positions near Zolote
Most of the Ukrainian military in Zolote are also not happy with the upcoming disengagement of forces. The fighters do not trust the enemy – they fear that the separatists will not retreat, but will take up the positions left by the Ukrainian army.

Life in Donbass Gold: decline, mines and war
Memories of a peaceful life
Residents, forced to leave their apartments on the outskirts of the city due to constant shelling, did not take all their belongings. Sometimes here you can stumble upon completely unexpected finds – like this button accordion on the balcony. You can’t hear music in the city now – only shots sound.

Life in Donbass Gold: decline, mines and war
Semi-open checkpoint
The only thing that was built and not destroyed in the city in recent years is the Zolotoe checkpoint. However, it does not fulfill its functions – it is impossible to cross the line of demarcation here: the separatists do not open the checkpoint on their side. The opening of the Zolote checkpoint would relieve the burden of the only checkpoint in the Luhansk region at present in Stanytsia Luhanska and significantly improve the humanitarian situation.

Life in Donbass Gold: decline, mines and war
The checkpoint works like an ordinary checkpoint
Now the Zolotoe checkpoint works like an ordinary checkpoint: here they control those who leave the front-line villages controlled by Kiev. At the same time, border guards and representatives of the fiscal service work in “Zolote”, as well as at other checkpoints on the contact line, checking a few cars and pedestrians. There is also all the necessary infrastructure – for example, a shelter from shelling.

Life in Donbass Gold: decline, mines and war
Inconvenience for local residents
Checks are more thorough here than at simple checkpoints. In addition, “Zolotoe”, like other checkpoints, does not work at night. This creates additional inconvenience for local residents, especially for miners: mines work around the clock. The checkpoint can be bypassed on dirt roads, but only in good weather. In the rain, when the roads are washed out, the checkpoint is the only way to go somewhere and return home again.

Life in Donbass Gold: decline, mines and war
The road to the “other side”
The road leading from the checkpoint to the separatist-controlled Pervomaisk is now closed. Before the outbreak of hostilities, many residents of Zolote worked in Pervomaisk. Previously, it was possible to get there in less than an hour. Now it is possible to get to Pervomaisk from Zolote only through other checkpoints – for example, in Stanytsia Luhanska. The road will take a whole day.
Author: Nikolay Berdnik