Tragedy Strikes at Knurów-Szczygłowice Mine

The news in Polish

1. kopalnia  (f.)
   miejsce, gdzie wydobywa się minerały z ziemi ↩︎
2. wstrząs  (m.)
   drganie ziemi spowodowane ruchami tektonicznymi lub wybuchami ↩︎
3. ratunkowy
   związany z udzielaniem pomocy potrzebującym ↩︎
4. warunek  (m.)
   okoliczności lub wymagania, które muszą być spełnione ↩︎
5. placówka  (f.)
   instytucja lub jednostka organizacyjna działająca w określonym miejscu ↩︎
6. złożyć
   przekazać coś komuś formalnie, wyrazić ↩︎

Translation

Text comprehension

Question 1: How many miners escaped and were injured in the accident?

Question 2: How many miners were hospitalized and how many have already been discharged?

Vocabulary

Polish	English
kopalnia  (f.)	mine
wstrząs  (m.)	tremor
ratunkowy	rescue
warunek  (m.)	condition
placówka  (f.)	facility
złożyć	submit

Read the full story

A miner reported missing during a tragic incident at the Knurów-Szczygłowice coal mine in Poland has been found dead after a seismic tremor disrupted operations on Monday night. The victim, a 40-year-old man who had been employed by Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa (JSW) for two years, was initially unaccounted for following the disturbance.

The powerful tremor occurred at 850 metres below ground in the Knurów section of the mine, causing a total of nine workers to be caught in danger. While eight miners managed to escape to safety and were subsequently treated in local hospitals, search efforts for the missing miner were launched immediately. Tragically, the worker was later discovered deceased, the circumstances of which are under investigation by multiple Polish safety and labour agencies, including the Rybnik District Mining Office.

JSW has expressed deep condolences to the family and colleagues of the deceased miner. The company’s statement emphasised that safety and well-being of their employees remain a top priority. It was also reported that five of the eight miners who received hospital treatment have already been discharged.

An intensive rescue operation involved 26 rescue teams from JSW and the Central Mining Rescue Station in Bytom. However, the mission faced significant challenges due to a high concentration of methane gas caused by damage to the mine’s ventilation duct, known as the “lutniociąg.” This situation required rescuers to painstakingly restore the damaged ventilation system, gradually decreasing the methane levels to proceed safely.

The affected area of the mine has been temporally closed for recovery operations and investigations, though the rest of the mining facility continues its usual activities. Coordination of the rescue efforts was managed by the Central Mining Rescue Station and the mining supervision authority.

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