Miner died in Tkibuli when company had no right to carry out works

Masses of coal and ground fell under a miner in Tkibuli, in western Georgia on May 27. Rescuers were able to find the body of a 55-year-old man on the next day.

The Sakhnashiri Company, which carries out coal mining works in the town, says that mining has been banned there since July 16, 2018, when four miners died.

The company points at sub-contractors, which are ‘mining illegally.’

“We have warmed a particular sub-contractor four times, in August, February, on March 5 and 14,” the company representative Jambul Jakeli told Netgazeti.

He stated that Saknakhshiri has also sent letters to the relevant agencies of the Ministry of Economy of Georgia about the violation.

Jakeli says that the sub-contractor was caught during illegal mining in over-ground mines.

The Ministry of Economy has not responded so far whether they were warned or not.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia is investigating the fatal incident.

29 people have died and 24 were severely injured in workplace accidents in 2018 alone, the Georgian Trade Unions said.

Out of those who died, 11 were killed in the mines, which are located in Tkibuli and Chiatura, two mountain towns in the western Imereti region. 10 other miners received injuries.

Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze stated after July 16, 2018 incident (when four miners were killed in the mine and six others were injured) that Tkibuli mines would be closed until the investigation is over.

“Mines have to be closed until modern standards of labor safety are guaranteed,” one of the leaders of the Georgian Dream parliamentary majority, Archil Talakvadze added then.

The investigation is in progress.