Land caves in over old mine in northern Bohemia, no injuries

Horni Jiretin, North Bohemia, Jan 7 (CTK) - Land over an old mine corridor started to cave in at about 3:00 Monday, creating a crater six times eight metres, injuring no one and damaging no houses.

Horni Jiretin is situated above several old mines, but no similar problems have been registered as yet.

"Nothing like this happened during my ten-year tenure," Mayor Branko Glavica told CTK.

The spokesperson for Czech Coal that operates a nearby open pit and the last underground mine in the vicinity told CTK no information about the incident is available as yet.

An eye-witness said the crater is no longer collapsing, but it is widening.

Glavica said the cave-in happened at the Glueck Auf (Good Luck) mine that was founded in 1871.

Jiretin with 2100 inhabitants has drawn public attention mainly due to disputes over the continuation of mining at the CSA pit that is also operated by Czech Coal.

The municipality is protected from further mining by territorial limits from 1991, but mining firms and some politicians continue to seek their lifting.

A big disaster happened in the historical town of Most in the area in 1895 when earth beneath houses started to move after torrential rains and 2500 people lost their shelter.

The town had to give way to mining in the 1970 and a new town Most was built in the neighbourhood.

"Nothing like this has happened throughout my life in Jiretin," deputy mayor Vladimir Burt told CTK.

"In this part of the town housing construction was not recommended. This was quite observed, but some houses were built there in the past years anyhow. Elsewhere in Jiretin, houses are stable and not undermined," Burt said.