Every fifth industrial death is that of a miner

According to the State Industrial and Mining Inspectorate, the level of fatalities in the coalmining industry is on average 20% of the total number of deaths in other branches of industry.

Since the beginning of this year, 4,735 miners have been injured, with 120 of the accidents being fatal.

Due to lack of timely or else merely formal medical checks and screening, the death rate among miners of working age from heart and vascular disorders remains high. For example, 16 miners died of such illnesses, this making 15.4% of all fatal accidents underground.

At mines under the control of the Ministry of the Coal Mining Industry, there was an increase of 5 industrial accidents, with 78 people dying against 73 during the same period last year. At mines privately owned, 42 miners died against 61 last year, this making 35% of all those killed in the industry.

Most miners (26 men, or one in four) died using underground track or conveyer transport.