LJUBLJANA (Slovenia), January 21: An accident at a coal mine in northeastern Slovenia has resulted in the death of at least one miner, with two others still unaccounted for, according to officials on Tuesday.
On Monday evening, a sudden influx of water flooded the mine located in Velenje, reports from officials and local media indicate. While most miners were able to evacuate, three individuals remain trapped, as reported by the STA news agency.
Marko Mavec, the director general of the Premogovnik Velenje mine, stated on Tuesday that the likelihood of finding the two missing miners alive is minimal.
Rescue operations are facing challenges due to the accumulated silt and water within the mine, as highlighted by STA.
The cause of the accident is currently unknown. Slovenian President Natasa Pirc Musar has called for a comprehensive investigation to ensure that similar incidents can be averted in the future and to enhance miner safety.
The Velenje mine extracts coal from depths exceeding 500 meters underground. The extraction method utilized, known as the Velenje method, has been in practice since 1947, as mentioned on the mine’s official website.
This method entails “expanding the extraction site above the protected area (over the roof supports) to harness the natural processes of breaking and crumbling of the coal layer.”
Previously, in 2003, two miners lost their lives in an incident at the Velenje mine. (AP)
