Mining accident in Slovenia: Rescuers dig clay that buried the mine with their hands

(Patria) - A serious mining accident at Premogovnik Velenje has shaken all of Slovenia.

The search for the missing miners is still ongoing, and rescuers are excavating the material by hand, which is why the process is taking longer.

The mine director said that "hope dies last, but the situation is not encouraging".

The director of Premogovnik Velenje, Marko Mavec, said that such an accident had not occurred in the mine for many years. He announced new details of the accident.

He stated that during the excavation, there was an unexpected inrush of material. Eleven miners managed to get out and did not suffer injuries, at least not physical ones.

It is wet clay material that is very difficult to remove and hardens quickly. Mavec said that between 500 and 700 cubic meters of wet clay entered the tunnel.

Rescuers soon found one missing miner. He had died. However, two are still being searched for.

Rescue operations are carried out in shifts. Ventilation has been established in the tunnel, and a conveyor belt has been installed to place the manually excavated material.

"We expect to remove enough material today to reach the missing miners. If they are near the place where we started the rescue, we can find them in a few hours. If they are further towards the middle, one day will not be enough," said the director of the Coal Mine.

In the meantime, a support program for the miners' families is being prepared. Financial assistance and scholarships for children have been announced.

"Mining is an extremely demanding, brutal profession, and we cannot precisely predict what will happen in the tunnel. The first thing is the safety of employees, but sometimes nature harshly warns us that it is invincible. In the last 23 years, nothing similar has happened that resulted in fatalities during excavation.

But despite the fact that we invest financial resources and all resources in safety, to remind employees that human life is ahead of every ton of material and money, nature continues to punish us," stated the Mine Director, as reported by N1.