ALMATY, Oct 28 (Reuters) – At least 28 people have died and 18 remain missing after a mine fire in Kazakhstan, the Ministry of Emergency Situations reported on Saturday.
Operator ArcelorMittal Temirtau, the local unit of the Luxembourg-based steelmaker, said 206 of 252 people at the Kostenko mine had been evacuated after what appeared to be a methane explosion.
In addition, 18 people had received medical attention.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and declared a day of national mourning on October 29, ordering his cabinet to suspend investment cooperation with ArcelorMittal Temirtau.
The government and the company also confirmed that they were working to close an agreement to nationalize the company, which operates the largest steel mill in the country.
“ArcelorMittal can also confirm, as communicated today by the Government of Kazakhstan, that both parties have held discussions regarding the future of ArcelorMittal Temirtau and have recently signed a preliminary agreement for a transaction that will transfer ownership to the Republic of Kazakhstan.” , declared the mining company.
“ArcelorMittal is committed to completing this transaction as soon as possible in order to minimize disruption to the greatest extent possible.”
Last month, Deputy Prime Minister Roman Sklyar told reporters that Kazakhstan was in talks with potential investors who could take over the plant.
He added that the cabinet was unhappy with ArcelorMittal’s failure to meet its investment obligations, improve equipment and ensure worker safety following a series of fatal accidents. (Reporting by Olzhas Auyezov; Edited in Spanish by Ricardo Figueroa)
Source: Ambito
