PM offers sympathies after cave-in at Polish coal mine

Poland’s prime minister has offered his sympathies after two workers were killed in a cave-in at a coal mine in the south of the country.

The Mysłowice-Wesoła coal mine is operated by the state-owned Polish Mining Group (PGG) in the country’s southern Silesia region.

Photo: PAP/Andrzej Grygiel

Two other miners were reported injured after the cave-in rocked the Mysłowice-Wesoła mine in the town of Mysłowice in Poland’s southern Silesia region on Thursday afternoon.

A total of 24 miners were in the danger zone when the incident occurred some 665 metres underground, public broadcaster Polish Radio’s IAR news agency reported.

Rescuers at the site of the accident on Thursday evening. Photo: PAP/Andrzej Grygiel

"I would like to offer my sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims," Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said in a social media post on Friday morning.

He added that his government was ready to provide “all possible support” to those affected.

Tragiczna wiadomość z kopalni Mysłowice-Wesoła. W wyniku fatalnego wypadku zginęło dwóch górników, a dwóch ich towarzyszy zostało rannych. Rodzinie oraz Bliskim Ofiar składam najszczersze wyrazy współczucia oraz zapewniam o wszelkim możliwym wsparciu.

— Mateusz Morawiecki (@MorawieckiM) March 5, 2021

The incident is being investigated by mining officials and separately by prosecutors, Poland’s PAP news agency reported.

(gs/pk)

Source: IAR, PAP