A tragic incident unfolded at the Kostenko coal mine in Kazakhstan's Karaganda region, resulting in the loss of 32 miners, with ongoing efforts to locate 14 missing miners, as confirmed by Kazakhstan's Ministry of Emergency Situations.
The mine explosion was initially reported on the morning of October 28 by the press service of "ArcelorMittal Temirtau," the company that owns the facility. It is believed that the explosion was caused by a build-up of methane gas.
The company reported that at the time of the incident, there were 252 miners underground, with 206 of them safely evacuated to the surface. Search and rescue teams are continuing their efforts to locate the remaining 16 miners, as confirmed by the Ministry of Emergency Situations.
In response to the accident, Kazakhstan's President, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, traveled to the Karaganda region to meet with the families of the deceased miners and offer his condolences, as reported by Akorda.
The President has instructed the government to halt investment cooperation with "ArcelorMittal Temirtau" and has established a governmental commission to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.
President Tokayev has declared October 29 as a national day of mourning to honor the memory of the victims of the accident.
Following this tragic event, "ArcelorMittal" announced that they have signed a preliminary agreement, transferring ownership rights to the Kazakh government.
This marks the second accident at a mine owned by "ArcelorMittal Temirtau" in just two months. In August, a fire broke out at the Kazakhstanskaya mine due to a conveyor belt malfunction, resulting in a deadly fire that claimed the lives of five miners, with 13 others suffering injuries. As of the beginning of October, the fire had not yet been fully extinguished.
A government commission determined that the company, as the owner, bore full responsibility for the Kazakhstanskaya mine accident, identifying 28 individuals responsible for legal violations, according to Kazakhstan's Ministry of Emergency Situations.
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