Safety violations behind deadly coal mine blast in west Ukraine: investigation
Xinhua, April 12, 2017 Adjust font size:
The March's blast at a coal mine in western Ukraine that has claimed eight lives was caused by the violation of safety rules, an official investigation showed on Wednesday.
The improper ventilation of the mine, which had high methane concentration, was the main factor that had led to the disaster, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Gennady Zubko told the government, while unveiling the results of the investigation.
The violations of labor protection regulations and malfunction of the equipment have also contributed to the disaster, Zubko said, promising to strengthen the government control for mine safety.
On March 2, the methane gas explosion occurred at the depth of 550 meters at Stepova mine in Lvov region, killing eight workers and injuring 29 others.
In the wake of the accident, Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman has asked the government to allocate 7.4 million U.S. dollars from the state budget to improve the safety of miners.
Ukraine's mines are believed to be among the most dangerous in the world due to their outdated equipment and high concentration of methane levels. Endit