1 Dead, 8 injured in Mine Explosion Accident in Tkibuli
By Khatia Bzhalava
Tuesday, February 1, 2022
One person died and eight were injured during a coal mine explosion in Tkibuli, western Georgia, late at night on January 30.
The injured workers were admitted to Khechinashvili University Hospital in the capital of Tbilisi yesterday. According to Guga Kashibadze, the Head of the Burns Center at Khechinashvili University Hospital, the miners had been allegedly injured by a methane explosion. Three of the injured remain in the intensive care unit and one of them has 60% burns and thermal damage.
Ministry of Internal Affairs has launched a probe under Article 240 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, involving a violation of safety regulations during mining and construction works. The Georgian Saknakhshiri mining company, which owns the mine where the incident took place, has also launched a separate investigation to study the exact cause of the accident.
According to the Labour Inspection Service, as a result of the primary investigation, various types of violations have been revealed. In particular, according to the initial assessment, the blasting works were carried out in violation of safety rules as, during the explosion, the concentration of methane in the air exceeded the acceptable norm.
Under current regulations, drilling and blasting are prohibited at concentrations of more than 1% of methane. The Labour Inspection Service also said that blasting operations must be carried out under the direct supervision of the technical supervisor, noting that the relevant person was not present at the time of the incident. According to them, as a result of revealing obvious violations, the Labor Inspection Service decided to close down the specific site where the incident took place. The Labour Inspection Group continues the investigation on the site.
