Tragedy Strikes Asturias: Deadly Explosion Claims Five Lives at Cerredo Mine
Asturias is once again shrouded in grief following a catastrophic explosion that occurred this Monday at the Cerredo mine, located in the Asturian municipality of Degaña. The tragic event claimed the lives of five workers, all hailing from the León region of Laciana, and left another four individuals with serious injuries.
Initial investigations suggest that the explosion was likely caused by a pocket of "grisu," a gas that can create devastating explosions when it comes into contact with air. This information was relayed by both the Mining Rescue Brigade and the Judicial Police, as outlined by Adriana Lastra, the government delegate in Asturias. The explosion, which took place around 8:45 AM, initially attracted attention due to a reported machinery problem; however, the focus soon shifted to the alarming possibility of grisu gas being the culprit, according to EFE news agency.
At the time of the incident, the workers were engaged in tasks associated with an exploitation permit aimed at exploring potential uses for minerals in graphite manufacturing, as detailed by Guillermo Peláez, the Asturian government spokesperson. While the precise circumstances of the explosion remain under investigation, both Lastra and Asturian government officials stress the importance of discovering what led to this tragedy.
Minister of Ecological Transition, Industry, and Commerce, Belarmina Díaz, remarked on the situation, stating that grisu appears to have played a role in the disaster and emphasized the need to provide support for the grieving families during this devastating time. Among the deceased and seriously injured workers, one individual, who is in critical condition, was transported to the Central University Hospital of Asturias (HUCA) in Oviedo and is a resident of Degaña.
The injured parties include a 39-year-old man who suffered severe burns and was evacuated by ambulance to a hospital in El Bierzo, and a 47-year-old man who was airlifted to the University Assistance Complex in León. Additionally, a 36-year-old person with a head injury underwent initial treatment at the Carmen and Severo Hospital in Cangas del Narcea before being transferred to HUCA for further evaluation.
A visibly emotional Adriana Lastra expressed that the entire region of Asturias is profoundly affected by this incident, recalling the pain from past mining accidents. "It’s a moment of tremendous pain...it reminds us of other accidents and makes us suffer again seeing how the mine claims the lives of young people with all their lives ahead of them," she stated.
The Cerredo mine, inaugurated in 2009 as one of Spain's most modern facilities, has remained largely inactive for the past seven years. Despite this, the Blue Solving company received authorization last summer to initiate a research project on alternative uses for coal. According to the industry minister, the tragic incident occurred while work was underway under a supplementary research permit.
The Cerredo mine has experienced previous accidents, the latest of which transpired on August 25, 2022, when one worker lost his life and another sustained injuries due to a vehicle mishap outside the mine. Monday's explosion marks one of the gravest incidents in the mining history of Spain, drawing comparisons to another serious accident over two years prior that resulted in the deaths of three geologists due to a tunnel collapse in Súria, Barcelona. The most severe mining disaster to date occurred on August 31, 1995, at the San Nicolás mine in Mieres, Asturias, where an explosion of grisu gas killed 14 miners in a tragic incident that still resonates today.
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