Authorities reported KazakhstanToday, Sunday, 45 people died in… Coal mine fire In the center of the country, making it the deadliest mining accident in the history of this country rich in natural resources and located in Central Asia.
The Ministry of Emergency Situations said, in a statement, that “the presence of destroyed excavation equipment as well as debris in some places hinders the search operations” for missing persons.
The ministry added that rescuers are searching for a missing worker in two areas of the mine, which extends 4 kilometers in length.
Rescue teams warned yesterday evening, Saturday, that the chances of finding survivors were “very slim” due to the lack of ventilation in the mine, the low capacity of emergency respirators for miners, and the force of the explosion over a two-kilometre extension.
A series of tragedies
This explosion and fire – in the Kostenko mine in Karaganda (central) – is added to a long list of tragedies recorded so far at ArcelorMittal sites in Kazakhstan.
This situation prompted the Kazakh government to announce an agreement to nationalize the local company of the giant global steel group.
Immediately after the incident was announced on Saturday morning, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev ordered the “termination of cooperation” with the group.
In the presence of the families of the victims in Karaganda, the president described ArcelorMittal as “the worst company in the history of Kazakhstan in the field of cooperation with the government.”
At the same time, the Kazakh government and the giant steel group – headed by Indian businessman Lakshmi Mittal and headquartered in Luxembourg – announced a preliminary agreement “to transfer ownership of the company to the Republic of Kazakhstan.”
