Russia: 51 killed in coal mine tragedy
On 25 November, 46 miners and five rescuers died at the Listvyazhnaya mine in Russia’s worst coal mining incident in more than ten years. According to reports, as the mine filled with smoke after a methane gas explosion, workers died of carbon monoxide poisoning.
On the day of the tragedy, 285 people were inside the mine - 239 managed to get to the surface and 64 of them were taken to hospital. The bodies of eleven miners were retrieved on the same day. 35 workers are still missing, presumed dead, as rescue operations have been suspended due to high concentrations of methane and risk of explosion.
The mine director and two other managers have been detained and accused of violating industrial safety rules. The local chief state inspector of the Russian technical supervisory body, Rostekhnadzor, has been also detained and accused of negligence. Violations of fire safety, the lack of equipped escape routes, malfunctioning electrical wiring, failure to conduct safety briefings and assessment of working conditions, failure to provide personal protective equipment and workwear, violations of the work and rest schedule were identified. More inspections will follow. Read more: Industriall media release
Qatar: ILO releases report on work-related deaths
An in-depth analysis of work-related deaths and injuries in Qatar by the International Labour Organization, has shown that 50 workers lost their lives in 2020 and just over 500 were severely injured, with 37,600 suffering mild to moderate injuries.
Most were suffered by migrant workers from Bangladesh, India and Nepal, mainly in the construction industry. Falls from height and road traffic accidents were the top causes of severe injuries, followed by falling objects on worksites.
The report, One is too many: The collection and analysis of data on occupational injuries in Qatar, provides the most complete and accurate picture of work-related deaths and injuries ever compiled in the country. Its findings are based on data collected from all medical institutions that provide acute care for injured workers in the country. Read more: ILO media release
