An explosion occurred at the backup pumping station of the Elga coal deposit in Yakutia, resulting in fatalities. This was reported by the republic's prosecutor's office. According to preliminary data, the incident happened on September 26 during welding work.
The Investigative Committee of Yakutia has opened a criminal case under the article on violation of safety rules, resulting in the death of two or more persons. The maximum penalty is up to seven years of imprisonment. Investigators and forensic experts are working at the scene, and the circumstances are being established. The prosecutor's office will conduct an inspection and, if there are grounds, will take response measures.
The Elga deposit is the largest in Russia and one of the largest coking coal deposits in the world. Reserves according to JORC exceed 2.2 billion tons. It is located in the Tokin coal basin in southeastern Yakutia, 415 km from Neryungri and 300 km from the Baikal-Amur Mainline. The development is carried out by OOO ElgaUgol, part of UK Elga.
Coal mining at Elga began in August 2011. At the same time, through traffic opened on the 321-kilometer railway line connecting the deposit with the Baikal-Amur Mainline. The village of Elga was built for workers. In 2012, a seasonal beneficiation plant with a capacity of up to 3 million tons was launched.
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