By Olga Stadnichenko
Source: Ukraine: Golos Donbassa Weekly Newspaper,
Published on 07 August, 2008.

Twelve miners were killed by the explosion at Karl Marks Mine (owned by Ordzhonikidzugol) on 8 June. Only one miner has been buried so far, while eleven are listed as dead. Obstructions clearing and water pumping have been conducted for the second month running to lift up the dead miners and bury them.

I asked Aleksandr V. Luchkay, director of Karl Marks Mine, to comment on the situation as of 4 August.

“Repair and renovation works are in progress at the mine. We’ve stopped pumping water out as its inflow is minor and set up regular drainage system. We’ve cleared the well. The top cage cover with the grip can be seen already. All the works will be carried out manually now. I believe we will have the cage lifted and remains of the people found by 8 August. The relatives will have to undergo a corpse identification process. I understand how hard and painful it will be as the blast occurred immediately beneath the cage and it fell down from a horrible height with a breakneck speed”.

“The Government Committee has decided to resume mine exploitation after restoration. It is nobody’s fault – just a coincidence. The mine was standing idle and the explosion occurred between the working shifts. All miners are temporarily employed at other mines. Foundations and structural units provide financial aid to the families of the explosion victims”.

The leader of mine trade union Aleksandr N. Pushkin added that the cage had been atilt as it went down the well. All efforts to hoist it up failed. Low quality pumps also delayed works as they would break quickly and need frequent replacement. We lost precious time on transportation, installation and putting them into operation.

The Cabinet decided to provide UAH 15m with 5.1m for financial support of the explosion victims families and 9.9m to rescue operations.

The trade union of coal workers has remitted UAH 15,600 to the families of killed miners and 10,800 to injured. The funds were distributed uneven - 4 people with burns received UAH 200 each, and 25 miners undergoing a treatment course in hospitals received UAH 400 each). Rinat Akhmetov’s Foundation for Development of Ukraine has helped much by donating UAH 1.3m (330 000 for each family of those killed and injured). Each victim will be taken care of and the Foundation will provide support to the people, which became completely or partially disabled following decision of the Medical Disability Expert Commission. The Foundation for Development of Ukraine has also decided to award the workers that took a proactive part in coping with the explosion fallout.

An MP willing not to disclose his name has remitted UAH 99,190 to the account opened by the Trade Union for donations for explosion victims’ families. Salary of miners was paid to all families with the exception of those two rejecting the fact of their relative’s death. Committees regularly consider applications from the families asking for support to conduct repair and construction works. They received UAH 411-638 each averagely. The mine will bear all funeral expenses.

These are just dry facts and figures that have a tragedy of every family, a story of love and pain, lost hopes and despair behind. The stories of two different families that became so close are coming in our next issue.