1 dead, 8 injured in coal mine explosion in Tkibuli mining town
The interior ministry has launched a separate investigation into the incident under the article of violation of safety rules in mining work. Photo: RFE/RL.
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One miner died and eight more were injured in a coal mine explosion in western Georgia's Tkibuli town late at night on January 30.
The eight injured workers were admitted to the hospital in Tbilisi today. A total of five people are suffering from burns due to the explosion, out of which three patients are in critical condition and are being treated in the intensive care unit.
Guga Kashibadze, the Head of the Burns Center at Khechinashvili University Hospital, said the miners had been allegedly injured by a methane explosion.
The condition of the patients in the intensive care unit is quite serious, one of them has 60% burns and thermal damage,” Kashibadze said, adding all patients were responsive with doctors.
The Georgian Saknakhshiri mining company, which owns the mine where the incident took place, began an investigation on the spot yesterday, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Georgian service reported.
The interior ministry has launched a separate investigation into the incident under the article of violation of safety rules in mining work.
One of two workers, trapped in a collapse of a coal mass in the western Georgian town of Tkibuli, was found dead late yesterday. The search operation is now over. Earlier that day the Emergency Management Service rescued another worker in the disintegrated "land mass" and transport him to safety.
Two workers have been reportedly trapped in a collapse of a coal mass in the industrial city of Tkibuli in Georgia's west on Saturday.
Nine miners in Georgia’s western Tkibuli municipality are on strike in a mine refusing to come out, protesting against receiving the halved salaries in January. Tamaz Dolaberidze of the Georgian Trade Unions Confederation said that due to less coal mining activity than planned in January, the miners were paid less by Saknakhshiri coal mining company.
About 200 miners are on strike in the western Tkibuli municipality of Georgia, demanding their salaries be increased by 300 GEL (about $95.09/€80.09). In addition, they demand the Tkibuli municipality receive highland status in order for its inhabitants to receive benefits provided by the Mountain Law.
Preliminary investigation has shown the blasting operation was carried out in violation of safety rules in the Tkibuli town mine in Georgia’s west, where an explosion claimed the life of one worker and injured eight others, the Labour Inspection Service of Georgia has said.
The Georgian National Agency of Mineral Resources has rejected claims by the United National Movement political party over an auction announced for the license of mineral exploration in southern Georgian municipalities of Bolnisi and Marneuli as an “attempt to score political points and a lie”.