Audit court’s reports warned against mine blast risk in Bartın
Hande Fırat - ANKARA
The state audit court’s 2017 and 2019 reports had warned authorities of potential dangers in a mine in the northern province of Bartın at a depth of 300 meters, the same mine where an explosion at 350 meters deep occurred and claimed the lives of 41 people on Oct. 14.
“It is necessary to give meticulous attention to the use of compressed air equipment instead of electrically operated equipment in places where there is a possibility of gas accumulation, to give due importance to combating respirable dust and explosive dust, to detect the content of vein gas and to take precautions against the possibility of increased discharge due to the deepening of the furnaces,” the 2017 report said.
Research and development activities should be given importance to determine the reasons for the occurrence of accidents and the conditions for their prevention, the report warned.
It also urged authorities to provide personal protective materials in accordance with the standards and to follow their use.
Moreover, the 2019 report said the balanced production depth’s drop to -300 meters causes an increase in the risks of serious accidents, such as sudden gas discharge and firedamp explosion.
“It is known that the gas contents of all vessels are high, and therefore their discharge capacity is also high, while the risk increases even more in fault zones,” it said.
In addition to the provisions of the relevant legislation, the provisions of the “Institutional Discharge Directive” should be meticulously applied in the establishments, the report warned.
Meanwhile, Turkish Hard Coal Enterprise (TTK) made a statement refuting the allegations that high methane gas was detected in the coal mine.
The news in question “does not reflect the reality and contains disinformation,” it said.
The ventilation in the furnace and the methane gas in the coal are different issues, the statement read, claiming that this does not affect occupational health and safety.
Turkish police said in a statement that legal action would be taken against 12 people who allegedly shared provocative content about the mine explosion to incite hate on social media.
