The Scales of Catastrophe on "Raspadskaya" Were Perceived Only 2 Days After

The head of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation Sergey Shoigu gave the preliminary version of a cause of catastrophe on the mine "Raspadskaya" in Mezhdurechensk, the Kemerovo region. According to the minister, which news agency RIA Novosti quotes, sudden emission of methane could become the reason of two explosions on the mine.

"It is necessary to find out the reasons: either it's instantaneous gas release, or something else. Under the preliminary version, gas has been blown up", - Shoigu said. He underlined, "Interfax" notices, that "the first clap lifted a coal dust, in four hours there was a second powerful explosion of gas and coal dust".

"Big forces of science are involved to understand what happened because destructions are enormous, the more so nobody knows what destructions are inside", - the minister noted.

Shoigu also noticed that "we have little hope on rescue of miners". Now it is known about 32 victims in the mine "Raspadskaya", the destiny of 58 more people is not known yet.

According to the minister, the rescue operation on the mine "Raspadskaya" proceeds despite of serious complexities. Total length of a route of underground tunnels where people could be found exceeds 300 kilometres. "For the given moment about 1,5 kilometres of tunnels has been checked. Nobody has been found out", - Shoigu said.

He specified that active search is being carried out at once on two sites which can be flooded by water in the near future. There are 36 hours left on the first site and 48 hours - on the second for a search and rescue works, the minister specified.

It is necessary to note that regional authorities already promised to restore the mine. The governor of the Kemerovo region Aman Tuleev noticed that the mine is "not only local economic mainstay but is also closely connected with iron and steel industry". As he said, enterprises of Lipetsk, Cherepovets and Nizhny Tagil depend on the products of "Raspadskaya".

From editorial board: It is a pity that the scales of the accident on "Raspadskaya" became clear to authorities only almost two days after. Moreover, there are all bases to believe that they meaningly don't show off true sizes of the tragedy not to ruin holiday atmosphere on May, 9th. Anyway, the first reaction of the first persons of the state was delayed and extremely inexpressive. Even today, though it's already known that more than 30 people died and finally the number of victims can appear to be 3 times more, there's no saying about national mourning - only about indemnifications, restoration of capacities, terms of rescue operation and other working questions.

Shoigu, apparently, speaks frankly - there are few chances to rescue miners who remained underground. Probably, they do everything's possible but little is possible.

However not everything's clear with the reason of so powerful destructions, two successive explosions and so on - otherwise what for to involve "big forces of science"? It would seem, if there's something clearer than methane explosion in the mine, if there's something studied more? While it appears, picture on "Raspadskaya" doesn't fit in the habitual frames in any way. Scientists now "invent" what became a cause of the accident - though there's no plausible picture for a while.

Authorities diligently bypass a question of responsibility of owners of the mine, they even do not give the names and structures though it is already clear that happy owner of the champion of England from "Chelsea", of the yacht "Pelorus" and many other pleasant things Roman Abramovich is the main chief.

Nevertheless, governor Tuleev promises to restore the mine - actually what basis he uses to be in command of a private property of "Evraz-Group"? Readers of FORUM.msk reasonably ask, why the state in the name of the Ministry of Emergency Situations incurs huge expenses on rescue of private property of known to all oligarchs?

Yes, it is necessary to rescue people but not Abramovich's property and the more so not to restore at public expense the enterprise driven out into the Cyprian offshore long time ago. Still what's the reason why the governor Tuleev is interested in metallurgical enterprises in Lipetsk, Cherepovets and Nizhny Tagil belonging to other oligarchs for a long time - including the richest persons of the Russian Federation Lisin, Mordashov and other?

Perhaps, now it is necessary to nationalize "Raspadskaya" having paid to Abramovich and other owners worthy compensation, then to repair and restore its working capacity at the expense of the state budget and then to sell it for nothing "in good hands"? By the way, recently the mine became not so profitable and "Evraz-Group", as it was informed by mass-media, planned to refuse from the active - may be mysterious explosion happened just in time?

A lot of questions - whether there will be answers? Hardly. Possibility to have intelligible ones - very low.

Аnatoly Baranov, editor-in-chief of FORUM.msk

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