Coal mine accident kills, traps miners in Serbia’s Aleksinac

A minimum of eight persons are reported killed and dozens injured or trapped after the Aleksinac coal mine accident.

Rescuers work to attempt to decide what number of miners are trapped inside a collapsed shaft at a coal mine [Antonio Bronic/Reuters]

A minimum of eight miners have been killed and about 20 injured when a shaft collapsed in a state-owned coal mine in southern Serbia, in line with the RTS state broadcaster.

Rescuers have been attempting to find out what number of miners have been trapped within the shaft on Friday, the broadcaster mentioned, quoting well being authorities within the southern city of Aleksinac, 200km (125 miles) from Belgrade.

RTS reported that there have been 49 miners on the rota on the time of the accident, most of them from Aleksinac.

The explosion occurred within the mine at about 6am native time (04:00 GMT), in line with the broadcaster.

Goran Vidic, head of the native hospital, was quoted as saying all non-essential surgical procedure had been cancelled and a few sufferers had been discharged to make room for casualties.

“The scenario right here is tough, relations are right here, persons are upset,” Vidic mentioned.

“We now have to this point hospitalised 18 injured miners. Three of them are in severe situation,” he mentioned.

Two miners have been additionally being handled within the close by metropolis of Nis, RTS reported.

First responders dispatched to the scene managed to rescue a couple of dozen individuals, nevertheless, a number of remained trapped, in line with the broadcaster.

Probe beneath approach

“Inspectors, police and all related authorities are on the scene, doing what is critical to find out the reason for this tragedy,” mentioned the Mining and Power Minister Zorana Mihailovic.

MIhailovic visited the location on Friday and expressed condolences to the households of the victims, promising state assist.

Drago Milinkovic, the coal mine supervisor, mentioned preliminary data prompt a “sudden launch of methane” fuel into the mining space.

“Safety measures are on the highest degree within the coal mine, however this time there was a sudden launch of methane and easily the monitoring and the gear that have been in place didn't assist,” he mentioned.

The Aleksinac coal mine is susceptible to methane saturation and in November 1989 about 90 miners died in an explosion there. In 1998, 29 miners have been killed in the identical mine.