Ukraine to close unsafe mines

Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma has vowed to close all unsafe mines following an explosion at a coal pit that killed 20 people.

The blast occurred about 1,000 metres below ground at the Zasyadko mine in the eastern Donetsk region. About 700 miners were in the pit when a mixture of methane and coal dust detonated during controlled explosions.

“I have instructed the Prosecutor-General’s office and security services to check if mines respect security norms,” Kuchma said. “If it is not the case, they will be shut down. We don’t need coal at this price.”

Since the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991, funding cuts have made a bad situation worse, and the World Bank now describes Ukraine’s coal pits as the world’s most dangerous mines. An average of 300 miners die each year in the industry; so far this year, about 150 have died.