Mining company denies reports of technical malfunction, land collapse after miner’s death

 19 miners were killed and 16 were injured in 2018-2019 in Georgia. Photo: Georgianjournal.ge.

Agenda.ge, 18 Oct 2019 - 17:59, Tbilisi,Georgia

Georgian Manganese Company has released a preliminary conclusion for the tragic incident that occurred at Darkveti mine in the western Georgian region of Chiatura yesterday, saying that the fatality “was not caused due to technical malfunction, a land collapse or any other accident at the scene”.

Miner Gaga Botchorishvili, 26, died at the Darkveti mine at around 10 p.m. yesterday.

 It is noteworthy that the mine was inspected for technical safety two months ago by Technical and Construction Supervision Agency. The agency found that the mine meets safety standards and working conditions”, declares Georgian Manganese Company.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs is investigating the incident.

Georgian Manganese expresses its deep condolences to the family members and relatives of Gaga Botchorishvili.

In its recent report “No Year without Deaths: A Decade of Deregulation Puts Georgian Miners at Risk”, international non-governmental organization Human Rights Watch says that the safety of workers in Georgian mines are at serious risk.

The 60-page study published in late August says that the risk is caused by “insufficient government regulation and resulting mining practices that prioritises production quotas and puts workers safety in jeopardy”.

Georgian Manganese Company, the largest manganese producer operates 11 mines as well as a processing plant and has about 3,500 workers.

Georgian Trade Unions Confederation reports that 19 miners were killed and 16 were injured in 2018-2019 in Georgia.