Poland: Miner found alive two days after tremor

The last coal miner trapped underground since Thursday in southern Poland was found alive by rescuers on Saturday, the mining company said.

The Rydultowy mine, operated by state-controlled group PGG, was hit by a rockburst tremor at around 8 a.m. local time (0600 GMT) on Thursday about 1,200 meters (3,960 feet) below ground.

The accident killed one person, while dozens more were brought to the surface alive by rescuers a few hours later.

Unlike earthquakes which are triggered by moving tectonic plates, rockburst tremors are sudden movements and collapses in rock cavities.

They are often caused by blasting in mining and are a major safety risk for miners and people living in mining areas.

What do we know about the last rescue?

Rescuers "found the miner they had been looking for since the earthquake" shortly before 2 p.m. local time (1200 GMT), Leszek Pietraszek, head of the PGG mining group that operates the mine, told the media.

After surviving underground for two days, the man was able to speak to rescuers but was having some breathing problems, said Pietraszek. The rescuers were in the process of preparing the evacuation.

According to reports, the rescue teams had to hand-sift through the rubble to reach the miner.

The office of the governor of the Silesia coal mining region said the man was conscious and was being transported to the surface.

An air ambulance was waiting at the colliery's gate to take him to hospital, local media said.

String of deadly incidents involving PGG miners

Thursday's tremor was the biggest in Poland since World War II, with an estimated magnitude of 3.1-3.4.

Hundreds of people took part in the rescue operation, which at times had to be called off when more tremors were threatened or due to dangerous methane gas levels, authorities said.

Last year, mining accidents killed 15 in Poland, compared with 36 the year before.

PGG has suffered several deadly accidents this year. including a cave-in at the Myslowice-Wesola colliery in May that killed three miners. Another worker was killed at the same mine in April.

Two miners lost their lives in separate accidents in 2019 and 2020 in the Rydultowy mine.

mm/dj (AFP, ap, dpa, Reuters)