Rescue teams search for missing miner after mining accident in Poland
In the southern Polish town of Rydultowy, a mining accident results in a rockslide in a coal mine. One miner loses his life. Two days after the mining accident in southern Poland with one fatality and several injured, rescuers found a missing miner. The man is conscious and is being brought to the surface, said Leszek Pietraszek, the chairman of the coal mining company PGG, today.
Rescue teams reached the 32-year-old miner in the afternoon. He could speak but had breathing problems. A doctor then provided first aid to him and prepared him for transport to the surface, Pietraszek added.
The cause of the accident in the coal mine in the Silesian Rydultowy was a rockslide, which occurred on a depth of 1150 meters underground on Thursday. Of the 78 miners present at the time, rescue teams managed to bring 76 to safety within a few hours. Another one could only be recovered later, dead. The condition of the now found miner is stable, he communicates with the rescuers and has already been examined by a doctor under ground, the head of the coal mining company stated.
Gebirgsschläge are sudden movements and collapses in rock cavities that cannot be traced back to tectonically triggered earthquakes. They are a significant safety risk for miners and people living in mining areas.
The international mining community expresses concern over the series of mining accidents in Poland, including the recent one in Rydultowy. Despite the rescue efforts, Gebirgsschläge remain a persistent danger in coal mining operations worldwide.
