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ALROSA will assess the safety of underground works at all its mines
The expert group includes independent experts, as well as the chief engineer of ALROSA, the chief geotechnician, chief hydrogeologist, head of the underground mining department, deputy chief surveyor and chief engineer of the Yakutniproalmaz Institute.
As indicated in the order, by September 1, the expert group will carry out an assessment of the mining operations compliance with the mines’ project designs in terms of observing the boundaries of the hazardous mining zones near water bodies; the condition of the safety fenders; the functioning of the main dewatering complex; the state of the mine workings located near the safety fenders, as well as the presence of uncontrolled water manifestations.
"The final and complete analysis of the causes of the accident at the Mir Mine is to be prepared by a commission of the Federal Environmental, Industrial and Nuclear Supervision Service of Russia. Nevertheless, we plan to conduct our own assessment of the situation at all the other mines of the company without waiting for the conclusions of the commission, and in case of identifying shortcomings, to take prompt measures to eliminate them," Sergey Ivanov said.
He also said that since May this year the company has been carrying out a comprehensive audit of its industrial safety system. The corresponding decision was made in May by the Supervisory Board of ALROSA.
In addition to the Mir Mine, ALROSA carries out underground diamond mining at the Internatsionalny, Aikhal and Udachny mines.
Meanwhile, the rescue works at the Mir Mine continue, and in the past day, six paramilitary mine rescue units of Russia’s EMERCOM (39 people) were sent to the mine, where they removed the debris on the mine’s level of -210 meters. The company says, the work is complicated by the presence of oversized pieces of rock, metal structures and pipes of different diameters ranging from 159 mm to 325 mm, which have to be cut using cut-off saws and gasoline cutters. The approach workings in the mine are flooded and filled up with rock mass and metal structures. Over the past day, the rescuers extracted 979 cubic meters of rock mass. The instrumental measurements say the water level in Mir's quarry is at -171.8 m, the estimated water volume in the quarry is 9,800 m3. The water level in the cage shaft is at -306.83 m. Water is entering the mine at 1000-1200 m3 per hour. The mine is ventilated in normal mode and the rescue operation is continuing.