Almaty, Kazakhstan: A methane explosion at a coal mine in central Kazakhstan killed at least five other people and injured 4 others on Thursday, officials said.
“A sudden release of fuel during the drilling of a drainage well led to the death of five workers” at the Lenin mine, owned by ArcelorMittal, Ruslan Imankulov, spokesman for the country’s Emergencies Ministry, told AFP.
Imankulov added that “four other people were hospitalized and 106 were evacuated. “
The mine is located in the resource-rich region of Karaganda, whose governor said the twist of fate triggered a “methane explosion,” a fuel that, combined with a certain amount of oxygen, can burn.
An investigation into possible violations of protection rules has been opened through a government commission.
In a statement, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev offered his “condolences to the families and friends of the deceased workers” and called for a “speedy recovery of the injured. “
Kazakhstan, a former Soviet republic and Central Asia’s largest economy, has significant deposits of oil, fuel and coal, such as uranium, manganese, iron and chromium.
Mining injuries are common in countries of the former Soviet Union due to dilapidated amenities and lack of security.
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