When one of the shafts in the coal mine in the Slovenian town of Velenje was flooded, one miner died and two others are missing. However, according to mine director Marko Mavec, it is the chance that they are still alive is minimal. TASR informs about this according to Tuesday’s reports of the agency STA and the newspaper Delo.
The accident happened on Monday evening, when a sudden rush of water hit a group of 14 miners operating mining machines. Most of them managed to escape to safety, but three others were hit by the current of water.
The emergency services quickly arrived at the scene, but the situation was difficult for them complicated by the hard mixture of mud and water that flooded the shaft. Rescuers tried to dig their way to the miners during the night, but it is estimated that they have to overcome up to 30 meters of silt. In addition, due to the risk of complete collapse, the shafts must be operated manually.
Mine officials said in a press release that “despite all safety measures, such events cannot be foreseen or predicted”and expressed their condolences to the families of the victims, to whom they will provide the necessary assistance.
The cause of the accident is not immediately known and the local police are already investigating. The ministers of the interior and the environment arrived at the scene of the accident on Monday, and Prime Minister Robert Golob will also visit it on Tuesday.
STA reminds that coal is mined in the Velenje mine at a depth of 500 meters. A special technique is used in coal mining, where a large “wall” of coal with a length of 170 meters and a height of 18 meters is mined in one piece. The excavated area is then backfilled in a controlled manner.
