WARSAW, Poland (AP)-Strong earthquakes and a methane leak at a second coal mine in southern Poland pushed dozens of workers to flee the mine on Saturday, and authorities have not contacted another 10 missing miner.
The incident occurred at 3:40 a.m. Saturday at the Boryna-Zofiovka mine 900 meters (2,950 feet) underground. This is the second incident in just four days in the coal mining region in the city of Jastrzebie-Zdroy, near the Czech border.
Methane explosions have been repeated since Wednesday At the nearby Pnyovek mine Five miners were killed, seven miners and a rescuer were missing and dozens were injured. The search for the missing in Pnyovek was halted on Friday after new explosions injured seven rescuers by the end of Thursday, some of them serious.
Both mines are managed by Jastrzebska Spolka Weglowa, or JSW, the company.
The company said 52 workers were in the Borinaya-Zofiovka mine area on Saturday, and 42 of them were able to independently leave the mine unharmed. Rescue operations have already begun on 10 missing miners.
By Saturday afternoon, rescuers were within 600 meters of the quake site and were slowly moving to where they were most likely missing, the JSW company said. But he added that high methane levels in the area could pose a threat and asked the rescue team to pay attention.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki tweeted that it was “once again a devastating story” from the mountainous region, saying his prayers were addressed to the missing and their relatives.
Poland relies on its coal imports for nearly 70% of its energy needs, prompting criticism from the EU and environmental groups concerned about CO2 emissions and meeting the climate change targets. Most of Poland’s coal mines are located in the South Silesia region.
The Polish government is reducing coal consumption and announced that it will stop importing coal from Russia in May, which is part of Poland’s aspirations. Reduce Russia’s reliance on energy In response to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Source: Huffpost
