Karvina, North Moravia, Aug 7 (CTK) – Three people died and another two were injured in a methane blast in the Darkov mine in Karvina, north Moravia, Thursday night, Marek Sibrt, spokesman for the OKD company that owns the mine, told journalists Friday.
The accident occurred during the drifting of a tunnel late on Thursday evening, Sibrt said.
Rock seems to have fallen out during the drifting. Due to this, the methane was released and subsequently ignited, he added.
“Undoubtedly, a seismic phenomenon occurred. Immediately after this, methane was suddenly released,” Bohuslav Machek, spokesman for the National Mining Administration, said.
“As a result, the mixture of methane and air was lit up,” Machek said.
The dead men were aged 32, 38 and 39.
“As far as these geomechanical signs are concerned, this is one of the most serious problem of Czech mining that really worries us in coal mining,” Machek said.
Rescue service spokesman Lukas Humpl said one of the miners had suffered very severe burns.
Both injured miners were transported to the Teaching Hospital in Ostrava, north Moravia
“One miner is in an intensive care unit of the burns centre. He has burns on almost 90 percent of the body and his condition is critical,” hospital spokesman Tomas Oborny said.
The severely burnt miner is 37 years old, Hump said.
“The other miner suffered several fractures. He is hospitalised in an intensive care unit of the trauma centre and his condition is stable,” Oborny added.
Miners keep working in the Darkov mine. The work was only limited in the place of the accident.
A commission of experts and police are investigating the causes of the blast, Sibrt said.
Rescuers from the Main Mining Rescue Station were immediately called in.
The previous accident in the OKD mines occurred last November. After a shake in the Karvina mine, three people died and nine were injured.
