In recent years, conglomerates such as Evraz SA have bought up coal mines and
similar enterprises and consolidated operations, selling raw and semi-processed
material to steel smelters, electricity producers and other major industry. But
some government officials in the past have accused private companies of cutting
corners on safety measures in order to cut costs.
According to the Evraz Web site, Yuzhkuzbassugol was Russia's leading
producer of coking coal, comprising 24 enterprises, including nine coal mines,
two enriching plants and other operations supplying coking coal to steel and
byproduct plants.
Yuzhkuzbassugol's total production in 2005 was 14 million tons) of coking
coal and 4.4 million tons of steam coal.
Alexander Sergeyev, chairman of the Independent Coal Miners' Union, said the
Ulyanovskaya mine operated with new equipment, but he said that human and
natural factors always created the potential for accidents.
He said miners may have encountered a pocket of methane while working and he
called for new safety regulations to help minimize the chance of such incidents.
"It's necessary, in my view, to pass legislation forbidding underground coal
mining without the required (ventilation) from the surface for methane," he said
in comments to Ekho Moskvy radio.
Sergeyev also blamed the blast on quota systems that encourage miners to work
faster and harvest more coal, potentially leading to careless and fatal errors.
The families of the dead each will receive at least $25,000 in compensation,
Kemerovo Gov. Aman Tuleyev was quoted by ITAR-Tass news
agency.
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