2008 Ukraine coal mine collapse
Encyclopedia
The 2008 Ukrainian coal mine collapse occurred at the Karl Marx
Coal Mine
in the city of Yenakiieve
, Donetsk Oblast
(province
) of eastern Ukraine
on June 8, 2008. The mine collapse
was said to have been caused by a gas pipe
explosion
. The explosion occurred at a depth of about 1750 feet (533 m). 37 miners were trapped underground at the time of the collapse, located 3301 feet (1,006 m) below the surface of the earth. Additionally, five surface workers suffered from burn
s and other injuries in a blast that they described as one of the most powerful in the industry.
The workers in the mine were supposed to have been checking for safety concerns in the mine and fixing them, not mining, as the Karl Marx Coal Mine was one of 23 coal mines in the country closed for safety violations. However, a spokeswoman for the safety agency said that audio tapes prove that the miners were extracting coal that day, thus violating the ban. An investigation commission plans to have the management of the mine charged with negligence.
Rescue crews were sent down ventilation shaft
s, as the main shafts were blocked because of the explosion, and two miners were rescued at some time after the collapse. One body was found in the rubble. On June 9, it was announced that 22 more miners, who had been waiting for 30 hours, were rescued by the crews, while 13 remained buried. On June 10, an official said that there was little chance that the 12 remaining miners were alive, as 9 of them were riding up an elevator when the blast happened, sending the cage down the shaft, and the other 3 were 1000 metres (3,281 ft) underground, where methane
levels were dangerously high after the explosion. Officials were also concerned that the mine could flood. More than 30 metres (98 ft) have flooded into the mine, a report says. Little hope was expressed by officials for the twelve miners still trapped.
The Ukrainian president
Viktor Yushchenko
criticized the gas explosion and mine collapse as a failing of the government
's policies and the outdatedness of the mines in the country.
Karl Marx
Karl Heinrich Marx was a German philosopher, economist, sociologist, historian, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. His ideas played a significant role in the development of social science and the socialist political movement...
Coal Mine
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
in the city of Yenakiieve
Yenakiieve
Yenakieve , is a city in the Donetsk Oblast of eastern Ukraine and carries a special status within the region designated into a separate city rayon . The city is located on the Krynka River about from the oblast's administrative center, Donetsk.Yenakiieve is an important regional centre of coal...
, Donetsk Oblast
Donetsk Oblast
Donetsk Oblast is an oblast of eastern Ukraine. Its administrative center is Donetsk. Historically, the province is an important part of the Donbas region...
(province
Oblast
Oblast is a type of administrative division in Slavic countries, including some countries of the former Soviet Union. The word "oblast" is a loanword in English, but it is nevertheless often translated as "area", "zone", "province", or "region"...
) of eastern Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
on June 8, 2008. The mine collapse
Mining accident
A mining accident is an accident that occurs during the process of mining minerals.Thousands of miners die from mining accidents each year, especially in the processes of coal mining and hard rock mining...
was said to have been caused by a gas pipe
Pipeline transport
Pipeline transport is the transportation of goods through a pipe. Most commonly, liquids and gases are sent, but pneumatic tubes that transport solid capsules using compressed air are also used....
explosion
Explosion
An explosion is a rapid increase in volume and release of energy in an extreme manner, usually with the generation of high temperatures and the release of gases. An explosion creates a shock wave. If the shock wave is a supersonic detonation, then the source of the blast is called a "high explosive"...
. The explosion occurred at a depth of about 1750 feet (533 m). 37 miners were trapped underground at the time of the collapse, located 3301 feet (1,006 m) below the surface of the earth. Additionally, five surface workers suffered from burn
Burn
A burn is an injury to flesh caused by heat, electricity, chemicals, light, radiation, or friction.Burn may also refer to:*Combustion*Burn , type of watercourses so named in Scotland and north-eastern England...
s and other injuries in a blast that they described as one of the most powerful in the industry.
The workers in the mine were supposed to have been checking for safety concerns in the mine and fixing them, not mining, as the Karl Marx Coal Mine was one of 23 coal mines in the country closed for safety violations. However, a spokeswoman for the safety agency said that audio tapes prove that the miners were extracting coal that day, thus violating the ban. An investigation commission plans to have the management of the mine charged with negligence.
Rescue crews were sent down ventilation shaft
Ventilation shaft
In subterranean civil engineering, ventilation shafts, also known as airshafts or vent shafts, are vertical passages used in mines and tunnels to move fresh air underground, and to remove stale air....
s, as the main shafts were blocked because of the explosion, and two miners were rescued at some time after the collapse. One body was found in the rubble. On June 9, it was announced that 22 more miners, who had been waiting for 30 hours, were rescued by the crews, while 13 remained buried. On June 10, an official said that there was little chance that the 12 remaining miners were alive, as 9 of them were riding up an elevator when the blast happened, sending the cage down the shaft, and the other 3 were 1000 metres (3,281 ft) underground, where methane
Methane
Methane is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . It is the simplest alkane, the principal component of natural gas, and probably the most abundant organic compound on earth. The relative abundance of methane makes it an attractive fuel...
levels were dangerously high after the explosion. Officials were also concerned that the mine could flood. More than 30 metres (98 ft) have flooded into the mine, a report says. Little hope was expressed by officials for the twelve miners still trapped.
The Ukrainian president
President of Ukraine
Prior to the formation of the modern Ukrainian presidency, the previous Ukrainian head of state office was officially established in exile by Andriy Livytskyi. At first the de facto leader of nation was the president of the Central Rada at early years of the Ukrainian People's Republic, while the...
Viktor Yushchenko
Viktor Yushchenko
Viktor Andriyovych Yushchenko is a former President of Ukraine. He took office on January 23, 2005, following a period of popular unrest known as the Orange Revolution...
criticized the gas explosion and mine collapse as a failing of the government
Government of Ukraine
Government of Ukraine is often associated with the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. However it should be considered that Ukraine is a country under a semi-presidential system with separate legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government...
's policies and the outdatedness of the mines in the country.