Tragically, five individuals lost their lives, and four others sustained serious injuries due to an explosion at a coal mine in the Asturias region of northern Spain, marking the country’s most devastating mining accident in decades.
Local emergency services confirmed that two additional workers at the Cerredo mine in Degana, located approximately 450km northwest of Madrid, emerged unscathed from the incident.
This incident represents the deadliest mining accident in Spain since 1995, when an explosion at a mine near Mieres in Asturias claimed the lives of 14 people.
Preliminary reports indicate that the explosion was triggered by firedamp, which refers to the dangerous combination of methane and air in coal mines, as stated by Adriana Lastra, the central government’s representative in Asturias, during a press conference at the site.
Family members congregated at the location, anxiously awaiting updates on their loved ones.
The explosion took place underground at approximately 9:30 am (8:30 am Irish time), and as news broke, families of the workers rushed to the scene, which was cordoned off by police and emergency response teams.
“It’s outrageous. Companies used to ensure safety, but this is happening less frequently,” expressed Jose Antonio Alvarez, a relative of one of the deceased miners, in an interview with the regional newspaper El Comercio.
According to the regional government of Asturias, the deceased were aged between 32 and 54 years old.
The injured individuals were transported to hospitals in nearby cities, with two being airlifted by helicopter.
They suffered from burns and, in one case, a head injury.
Emergency responders at the scene of the explosion.
The mine is owned by a newly established local company named Blue Solving, which was attempting to convert the site for the extraction of “high-performance minerals” for industrial applications, as reported by the local daily newspaper La Voz de Asturias.
During her visit to the explosion site, Labour Minister Yolanda Díaz asserted that the “full force of the law will prevail” if any individuals are found accountable for this tragedy.
“No one should perish like this in the 21st century,” Ms. Díaz emphasized.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed his “sincere condolences” to the victims’ families and hoped for a “swift recovery” for the injured in a message shared on X.
Adrian Barbon, head of the regional government of Asturias, announced two days of mourning “as a mark of respect for those who have passed away.”
For centuries, mining has been a pivotal industry in Asturias, a region characterized by its dense forests and mountainous terrain.
