Sadness in Zenica: Five miners said "Good luck" for the last time

A few minutes before 12:00 PM, the first miners emerged from the Raspotočje mine of RMU Zenica, and emergency teams headed towards the Cantonal Hospital Zenica, writes the BH news agency Patria. We remind you that 34 miners were trapped yesterday from 4:30 PM after a rock burst. Around 12:40 PM, Sinan Husić, president of the FBiH Miners' Union, announced in a statement to BHT1 that five miners had died, while 29 had emerged from the mine with minor injuries.

According to available information, Mehmed Dizdarević, Mehmedalija Halilović, Fahrudin Halač, Fejzo Isaković, and Hajrudin Bradarac died. One of the deceased was nearing retirement, while the others were between 25 and 40 years old.

The information about the casualties was also confirmed by the director of RMU Zenica, Esad Čivić, who stated that the bodies of the five miners had not been found. A search for them is still underway.

The chief federal mining inspector, Nuraga Duranović, said that they only saw that five people were missing upon reaching the miners. The search and rescue operation for the five bodies will continue tomorrow.

- We will analyze everything, provide our expert findings, and recommendations that must be strictly followed. A rock burst is a natural phenomenon that cannot be predicted, and all other safety aspects are being observed, said Duranović.

As the general director of JP Elektroprivreda BiH, Elvedin Grabovica, told Patria this morning, voice contact was established with the miners and water was supplied to them. At 11:40 AM, he stated that the emergence of miners from the Raspotočje mine was expected at any moment.

- The focus was on air supply, ensuring people had air, which was the greatest danger. The amount of methane and CO2 was intensively measured to see if it could endanger them. This is at a depth of about 600 meters. We coordinated the arrival of rescue teams from other mines, and additional machinery was lowered into the mine, and work began on connecting pipes and air supply, and then on preparing for excavation, said Grabovica, who visited the site yesterday with the Prime Minister of FBiH, Nermin Nikšić.

Rescue teams from the Kakanj, Breza, and Đurđevik mines also arrived to assist, making superhuman efforts to reach the trapped miners. He said they were in contact with the miners the entire time. When they had the opportunity, they provided all information to the miners' families as well. The length of the passage that rescuers had been digging since yesterday is about 125 meters.

Given that this is the third rock burst in the Raspotočje mine this year, Grabovica said that all options are being considered to protect the miners.

- The Raspotočje mine is one of the most dangerous and deepest mines, but we will consider what to do next, Grabovica told NAP.