A 40-year-old miner was found dead on Tuesday after a powerful underground tremor struck the Knurów section of the Knurów-Szczygłowice mine at a depth of 850 meters, mine owner Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa (JSW) said.
The incident occurred on Monday evening while nine miners were working in the area. Eight reached safety on their own, but contact was lost with one worker, whose location was known. His body was later found by rescuers, and a doctor pronounced him dead.
Five of the eight hospitalized miners have since been discharged, JSW said, extending condolences to the victim’s family, colleagues and friends.
The rescue operation involved 26 teams from JSW mines and the Central Mine Rescue Station in Bytom. The main challenge was restoring the damaged ventilation duct that supplied air to the work face, amid methane concentrations reaching 70%.
Authorities investigating the accident include the District Mining Office in Rybnik, the National Labor Inspectorate and a company-appointed team. The affected section remains closed, while the rest of the mine continues operating.
According to Poland’s State Mining Authority, about 1,500 high-energy tremors occur annually in coal mines, mostly without serious consequences. The most common cause is rock mass relaxation due to coal extraction.
(jh)
Source: PAP