One killed, 9 injured in methane explosion at Ukrainian coalmine

Kiev (Platts)--7Feb2012/758 am EST/1258 GMT


One Ukrainian coal miner was killed and nine were injured in a methane gas explosion at a coal mine in the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine, the emergency situations ministry reported Tuesday.

The explosion occurred around 22:52 local time (2152 GMT) Monday about 1,160 meters deep inside the Pivnichna coalmine.

There were 136 coal miners working in a shift at the mine when the accident happened, while 10 miners appeared to be close to the epicenter of the explosion, the ministry said.

The coalmine operation was temporary suspended and a special commission was created to investigate the accident, the ministry said.

Ukrainian coal mines are considered to be unsafe due to high concentration of methane gas that comes with the coal deposits, while sometimes the outdated technologies and equipment are also blamed. Methane gas explosions kill and injure hundreds of coal miners annually.

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In 2011, Ukraine's coal output rose 9% year-on-year, or by 6.76 million metric tons, to 81.99 million mt, up from 75.23 million mt in 2010, according to the energy and coal industry ministry.

In 2012, Ukraine plans to increase domestic coal extraction to 84 million mt to provide energy to its thermal power plants as it plans to sharply cut imports of expensive natural gas from Russia.

--Alexander Bor, newsdesk@platts.com