A methane gas explosion led to a fire at a coal mine in Kazakhstan, resulting in the deaths of at least 45 miners, as announced by Kazakh authorities.
The incident occurred at the Kostenko mine in the Karaganda region, igniting a blaze that took place early on Saturday.
More than 200 miners were safely evacuated from the mine, and search efforts are still underway to locate one missing miner.
The Kostenko mine is owned by Luxembourg-based ArcelorMittal, the world’s largest steel producer, and is operated by its local representative, ArcelorMittal Temirtau, which manages several coal and iron ore mines across Kazakhstan.
Following the explosion, operations at ArcelorMittal’s eight mines in the Karaganda region have been suspended, and the General Prosecutor’s Office has initiated a criminal investigation.
ArcelorMittal issued a statement indicating that it had recently signed a preliminary agreement with the Kazakh government to transfer ownership of ArcelorMittal Temirtau to Kazakhstan and was committed to completing this transaction as soon as possible.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev declared a national day of mourning for the victims.
In 2021, the mining sector, valued at billions of dollars, contributed an estimated 17% to the GDP of mineral-rich Kazakhstan, according to the US International Trade Administration.
Source-CNN
