Three Die in Coal Mine in Kyrgyz South

Text of report by corporate-owned Russian news agency Interfax

Bishkek, 4 August: Three miners have died in southern Kyrgyzstan, getting poisoned by carbon monoxide, sources in the Kyrgyz Emergencies Ministry’s press service told Interfax today.

“Three miners, born in 1991, 1967 and 1966, died getting poisoned by carbon monoxide in a private mine in the village of Kok-Dzhanak (Dzhalal-Abad Region, southern Kyrgyzstan),” the sources in the ministry said.

According to preliminary data, the miners died as a result of not observing safety rules. The sources in the press service added that the deceased were extracting coal at the depth of 35 metres.

In the meantime, the sources in the ministry do not know whether or not the coal extraction at this part of the mine is authorized, as the extraction of coal in mines in Kok-Dzhanak was discontinued in the mid 1990s.

Originally published by Interfax news agency, Moscow, in Russian 0924 4 Aug 08.

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