Date: November 25, 2021
Location: Gramoteino, Kemerovo Oblast (Russia)
Address: N/A
Type: Dust Fire
Fuel: Coal Dust
Industry: Coal Mining
Equipment: Unknown
Company: Listvyazhnaya Mine
Database Incidents: None Recorded
Loss: 51 Dead, 106 Injured
Capital Cost: Unknown
Status: Open
Confirmation: Unconfirmed
Company Description:
The Listvyazhnaya mine is part of SDS-Holding, which is owned by the Siberian Business Union. According to its website, its subsidiaries are involved in coal mining, railway transportation, chemicals, machine building and radio stations. SBU is Russia’s third-largest producer of coal for power stations.
Incident Description:
On November 25, 2021, ABC News reported a fire and explosion at a coal mine in Gramoteino, Russia.
Coal dust caught fire in a ventilation shaft, filling the underground workplace with smoke. The emergency ministry said there were approximately 285 people in the mine when smoke spread through the ventilation shaft. At least 239 made it above ground.
After initial rescue attempts, Russian emergency services were forced to temporarily suspend operations due to risk of an explosion. Methane and CO2 levels were dangerously high.
According to Radio Free Europe, 46 miners and five rescuers were killed. It was believed that the miners had suffocated when a ventilation shaft became filled with gas. A state television report said prosecutors believed there had been a methane explosion.
Dozens of workers were treated in hospital. Four of them were reported to be in critical condition Total number of people with non-fatal injuries came to 106.
According to the BBC, relatives of the victims claimed there had been a fire at the mine only 10 days earlier and miners had been frustrated that more was not done to improve safety.
An investigation was opened by the regional branch of Russia’s Investigative Committee while local officials declared three days of mourning.
On November 26, Reuters announced that three people, including the director of the mine and his deputy, had been arrested on suspicion of violating industrial safety rules. The CBC reported that the court also ordered two safety inspectors, who had issued a certificate for the mine that month but had not actually checked the facility, to remain in custody until late January.
