Operation of the Stepova coalmine suspended, rescue work underway

The mine and rescue operations are underway to reduce methane concentration in the air now, the mine is currently out of operation. A detailed plan to mitigate the consequences of the accident has been developed by the representatives of the Ministry of Energy and Coal Industry, JSC LvivVuhillia and the coalmine ”Stepova”. This was stated by Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine/Minister of Regional Development, Building, Housing and Utilities of Ukraine Hennadii Zubko following the meeting of the Government Commission on investigation of causes of the tragedy at the mine.

“We have enlarged the composition of the Government Commission. We additionally included  representatives of the Ministry of Energy and Coal Industry of Ukraine, Lviv regional state administration, the State Emergency Service , the Ministry of Finance,  he Ministry of Healthcare, the Ministry of Social Policy,the Ministry of Justice , the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, the General Prosecutor’s Office, the National Police, the Fund of social insurance against industrial accidents and occupational diseases and Independent Trade Union of Coal Miners. Tomorrow part of the Commission is scheduled to arrive to the coalmine Stepova to work on the place of the accident and to meet with the families of killed and injured miners, underlined the Vice Prime Minister.

He reminded that on Friday at a session of the Government there had been adopted a decision to pay one-off assistance worth half a million hryvnyas to the bereaved families and 75 thousand hryvnyas to the injured in the accident. The Vice Prime Minister stressed that Lviv state administration and specialized department of the Ministry of Healthcare of Ukraine were responsible for providing medical treatment to the miners. "As of today there are 23 victims of the explosion in the hospitals of Lviv. The state of the miners who appealed for help can be described as stable and there is no threat to their lives", emphasized Hennadii Zubko.

It is worth noting that on Friday, 2 March, the Government at a session adopted a decision on the establishment of the Government Commission chaired by Hennadii Zubko responsible for investigation of causes of the emergency situation which had occurred at the Stepova mine of JSC LvivVuhillia located in Hlukhiv village of Sokalsky area, Lviv region.