WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Rescue workers resumed an underground search for a missing miner in southern Poland on Friday after a powerful earthquake shook the Rydultowy coal mine the day before, killing one miner and injuring 17 others.
Aleksandra Wysocka-Siembiga, a spokeswoman for Poland’s Coal Mining Group, told The Associated Press that safety conditions underground have been improved, allowing the search to resume overnight. Rescue workers were forced to suspend work late Thursday night due to the threat of repeated tremors and the high level of methane gas in the mine.
There were 78 miners in the area when a magnitude 3.1 quake struck about 1,200 meters (4,000 feet) below the surface Thursday. Most were quickly brought to the surface, including 17 who were hospitalized immediately after the quake. One miner was pronounced dead when he was pulled from the mine.
Vibrations in coal mines, caused by stresses in the rock, can lead to cracks in the rock or sudden rock bursts, which can be dangerous to the miners.
The Polish Coal Mining Group has had several fatal accidents this year. In May, three miners were killed in a collapse at the Myslowice-Wesola coal mine, and in April, another was killed at the same mine.
In 2019 and 2020, two miners died in separate accidents at the Rydultowy mine, which opened in 1792 and currently employs around 2,000 miners.
Coal mining is considered dangerous in Poland, where some coal mines are prone to methane explosions or collapses. Digging in older mines involves searching for coal deep underground, which increases the dangers of the work. The coal industry is one of the largest employers in Poland, providing around 75,000 jobs.
Last year, 15 miners died in accidents.