Shocking tragedy in Polish mining. In the Pniówek mine owned by Jastrzębska Węglowa Company (JSW) there was a methane discharge along with a rock mass, resulting in the death of two experienced miners. The President of the Republic of Poland, Karol Nawrocki, expressed his deep sympathy to the families of the victims, expressing his condolences through social media.
The incident occurred on Monday afternoon, December 22nd, at a level of 1,000 metres underground, in the N-9 ancestor, where the ventilation pavement was drilled. Ten miners worked in the area. Eight of them were safely evacuated, but with two – 40- and 41-year-old employees with many years of experience – contact was lost after a sudden gas outflow. The rescue action, which involved two groups of rescuers from the Central Mining Station in Bytom, lasted nearly seven hours. Paramedics reached the victims after six hours of search, but the doctor confirmed their death.
According to JSW, the methane flow was intense enough to prevent immediate assistance. The miners who died were residents of the Silesian region and left their families behind. This is another tragedy in the Pniówek mine, which has experienced similar disasters in the past – in April 2022 ten people died there as a result of a series of methane explosions and several dozen were injured. The present event reiterates the risks associated with the extraction of hard coal under high methane risks.
President Karol Nawrocki responded to tragic news shortly after her announcement. In a post published on platform X, he wrote: "It was with great sadness that I accepted the tragic death of two miners from the Pników Mine. By expressing my sincere sympathy, I join in pain and prayer with the Families and the Near Dead."
The authorities of JSW and the Higher Mining Office announced an immediate investigation into the causes of the tragedy. Specialists analyze whether technical factors or natural geological threats have contributed to the event. The Pniówek mine, located in the municipality of Pawłowice, is one of the key in Polish coke coal mining.
