NOVOKUZNETSK, April 17 (RIA Novosti) - A short circuit caused the explosion at a Siberian mine in March which killed more than 100 people, the head of Russia's technical standards body said Tuesday.
On March 19, a methane explosion ripped through the Ulyanovskaya mine in Novokuznetsk, the largest coal-producing center in the Kemerovo Region, following the installation of British safety equipment, 108 people died in the blast.
"The commission considered four versions for the cause of the explosion, and we stopped at low-quality work on the electric cable, which caused a short circuit," Konstantin Pulikovsky told journalists while citing preliminary investigation data.
The head of the Federal Service for the Oversight of the Environment, Technology and Nuclear Management said the explosion could have occurred at any time before or after March 19.
"Any day when a spark appeared," Pulikovsky said.
He said methane sensors in the mine had been illegally readjusted to display lower methane levels.
"The British equipment failed to work because there had been unauthorized interference with the mine sensors and equipment servers, as a result methane levels in the mine were lower, and no one knew the real exact levels of methane. We have submitted materials to prosecutors," Pulikovsky said.
He said the degree of individual guilt will be established by a court. "We will do everything possible to bring this criminal case to court," he said.
On Monday, Pulikovsky said managers at all levels had been involved in the crime.
There were 203 people underground at the time of the explosion in the Ulyanovskaya mine, which besides miners took the lives of about 20 mine managers and engineers. A total of 93 miners were rescued, while two are still missing, in Russia's worst accident in 75 years.
The head of the commission investigating the accident said Tuesday the guilt of 42 people, eight of whom died during the explosion, has been established.
"The commission has established responsibility, 42 people are guilty for the accident," Nikolai Kutyin, who is Pulikovsky's deputy, said.
The governor of the Kemerovo Region said the mine management's actions were a crime committed to raise production figures.
"I fully agree with the commission's conclusions. The accident's cause was the deliberate actions of the Yuzhkuzbassugol company, and all responsibility lies with the company management. This is a deliberate crime committed in order to increase coal production," Aman Tuleyev said.
"The main mine management, who bear responsibility for the accident, died March 19 together with the miners," he said.
Pulikovsky also said coal dust that accumulated in the mine had intensified the methane explosion.
"There was a significant accumulation of coal dust in the mine. Unfortunately, we are reaching the conclusion that the necessary work to neutralize it had not been conducted," he said.
"The methane explosion was intensified due to an excess of coal dust. If there had been less dust, the explosion would have occurred all the same, but it would have been less destructive," Pulikovsky said, adding that the sensors and gas protection system server had been manipulated since last summer.
"If the sensors are correctly adjusted, electricity is switched off when the concentration of methane rises, and work in the mine is stopped until the reasons [for the increase] are corrected. If the protection system goes off frequently, coal production suffers."
The company that owns the Ulyanovskaya mine said it agrees with the investigating commission's conclusions.
"The results of the accident investigation are absolutely objective, comprehensive and unbiased, and 100% correct. We contributed to the investigation in every possible way. The mine will be restored at the coal company's expense, and by July 1 we plan to re-launch production," Yuzhkuzbassugol's general director, Georgy Lavrik, said.
The Kemerovo Region administration said Pulikovsky and Tuleyev will submit to the Russian government proposals to toughen industrial safety measures on mines, which include the regularization of the federal mine control system and an increase in the number of the technical standards watchdog's inspectors, as well as an increase in their wages.
