One killed, two injured in explosion at gold mine in Russia’s Kamchatka

One person was killed and two others were seriously injured in an explosion at the Asachinskoye gold deposit in Russia’s Kamchatka region on August 10, according to the Kamchatka Regional Centre for Disaster Medicine.

The two injured workers were in stable but serious condition, and authorities were assessing whether they should be evacuated by land or air, the centre said, Russian media reports.

According to the Kamchatka regional prosecutor’s office, preliminary findings indicate that a propane cylinder exploded while a contractor was carrying out welding work at a construction site.

The Yelizovo City Prosecutor’s Office has launched an investigation, while authorities opened a criminal case. Investigators will examine whether labour protection and industrial safety regulations were followed.

The Asachinskoye gold deposit is located about 160 kilometres from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in the Yelizovsky District and is one of the major gold deposits in southern Kamchatka.

By Sabina Mammadli