Evraz restarts operation of Yesaulskaya coal mine after rock slide

KEMEROVO, Dec 22 (PRIME) -- U.K.-based mining giant Evraz, which operates mainly in Russia, has restarted operation of the Yesaulskaya coal mine in the Kemerovo Region which was suspended on Wednesday after a rock slide, the Energy Ministry said in a statement on Friday.

The rock slide occurred in the mine’s blind ventilation drift, and 97 out of 100 miners evacuated to the surface. Three miners were blocked by the rock slide.

A representative of the region’s directorate of the Emergency Ministry told PRIME that the three blocked miners were brought back to the surface earlier on Friday, and that they suffered no injuries.

The ministry said in the statement that the operation of the mine was to be resumed after 8.00 a.m. on Friday, and that the company was investigating the reasons of the incident.

Yuzhkuzbassugol of the Evraz group owns the Yesaulskaya mine. The mine’s reserves stand at 14 million tonnes of coal.

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