MOSCOW, December 23. /TASS/. The bodies of all the nine people who died in fire in a mine in Solikamsk in Russia’s Urals have been lifted to the surface, a spokesman for the crisis management center told TASS on Sunday.
"The ninth body has been lifted to the surface. Thus, the bodies of all workers of the contractor company who died in the mine fire have been recovered," the spokesman said.
Nine workers of US-30, a contractor company dealing with construction works, got trapped inside the mine when fire broke out. Rescuers made eight attempts to reach the area while firefighters were putting out the flame. By now, the fire has been extinguished.
"The firefighting operation was conducted in difficult conditions as the fire engulfed a vertical opening and it was problematic to pump water to the area. The mine is under construction and has not yet been equipped with a water supplies system," the spokesman explained.
A fire broke out at a depth of 340 meters in a 500-meter-deep Uralkaliy mine in Solikamsk on Saturday morning, preliminarily because of construction works. The fire caused heavy smoke. At that moment, 17 people were working underground, but only eight of them managed to come to the surface. None was injured. Nine workers of the contractor company US-30 were trapped in the mine. All of them died. Efforts are being taken to lift the bodies to the surface.
A criminal case has been opened on charges of violations of safety rules causing the death of three or more people. Four employees of the contractor company have been detained.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Investigative Committee has commissioned a team of experts to Solikamsk.