[Summary translation prepared by Business & Human Rights Resource Centre]

"Killer machines": worker told of mine cracking two days before deadly collapse in Bashkiria, 09 July 2012

Yesterday, July 8, at about nine in the morning, a collapse occurred at a mine located in the Khaibullinsky district at a horizon of 340 meters. As a result, the 51-year-old driver of the loading and delivery vehicle was killed. The body of the deceased has now been recovered. The mine belongs to the LLC Bashkirskaya Med, part of the Ural Mining and Metallurgical Company holding company. However, the employee worked for another company - Mine Construction Management LLC. This organization carried out contract work at the mine.

A Prufa.rf correspondent managed to talk to one of the workers at the enterprise where the fatal incident occurred. He told on condition of anonymity that two days before the collapse, alarming signs of an impending disaster, such as a strange cracking noise, became noticeable in the mine. However, the mine management did not pay any attention to them. The interlocutor noted that such cases are not uncommon....

The worker also said that other examples of non-compliance with legal labour conditions are rampant in the company. For example, it happens that cases of workers' injuries are concealed....

As it became known at the time of preparation of the material, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for RB initiated a criminal case on this fact under the article "Violation of safety rules during construction or other works, resulting in negligent death of a person". To date, the scene of the accident has been inspected, the necessary service documentation has been requested from the contractor and the customer, expert examinations will be conducted, and investigations have been initiated in the Rostekhnadzor and Gostrudinspektsiya departments.