Protective Relay Training - Basic
Our customized live online or in‑person group training can be delivered to your staff at your location.
- Live Online
- 12 hours Instructor-led
- Group Training Available
The blast occurred at the 20-year-old Yesaulskaya mine in the Kemerovo region, about 3,000 kilometres east of Moscow, as mine workers were trying to prevent a fire from spreading. Four miners were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, said Olga Raskova of the Kemerovo regional government press service. A fifth was in serious condition.
Thirty miners were in the shaft when the explosion occurred, the press service said.
Twenty-one were confirmed dead and four were unaccounted for, said Sergei Vlasov, a spokesman for the Emergency Situations Ministry in Moscow.
Regional Gov. Aman Tuleyev said occasional blasts could still be heard in the shaft, hampering rescue efforts.
Miner Andrei Pshenichnikov, his face covered with cuts, described the trauma from his hospital bed in footage broadcast on NTV television.
"A shockwave came and it hurled us all, thrown into somersaults like in a circus. Then I walked along the track, I don't remember how long. I met security guards and they helped me."
The blast was caused by a methane build-up, according to a preliminary investigation. The press service said that smoke had been registered in the shaft earlier in the week and that coal extraction had been stopped. The workers in the shaft at the time of the blast were trying to erect bulkheads to isolate the fire sending out the smoke, the press service said.
Related News
'That can keep you up at night': Lessons for Canada from Europe's power crisis
A new nuclear reactor in the U.S. starts up. It's the first in nearly seven years
Explainer: Why nuclear-powered France faces power outage risks
The CIB and private sector partners to invest $1.7 billion in Lake Erie Connector
Is tidal energy the surge remote coastal communities need?
New EPA power plant rules will put carbon capture to the test
Sign Up for Electricity Forum’s Newsletter
Stay informed with our FREE Newsletter — get the latest news, breakthrough technologies, and expert insights, delivered straight to your inbox.
Electricity Today T&D Magazine Subscribe for FREE
- Timely insights from industry experts
- Practical solutions T&D engineers
- Free access to every issue