BULQIZA, Feb. 9 – Rescue teams in the northern Albanian town of Bulqiza are still searching for the three Chinese miners who are missing and thought to be buried under debris deep under a chromium mine. The search operation is being headed by Albanian and Chinese mining experts.
The three miners were trapped in the mine following a hydrogen gas explosion on Saturday. They were working for Wenzhou Corporation of Mining Tunnel Design, which was contracted by Albanian Chrome.
“The ventilation system in the mine has been destroyed by the explosion. We are rebuilding the airing system and attempting to reopen the entrance to the well,” said Mehmet Hasalami, head of the Albanian Mining Rescue Unit.
“The distance between the research team and the spot where the miners are believed to be trapped is almost 240 meters. The situation is critical, because hydrogen may cause a second explosion,” he added.
Local authorities said that rescue teams are considering alternative methods to purify the air and remove the hydrogen that makes the rescue of the three miners, impossible.
The Chinese Embassy in Tirana has also dispatched a working group to the mine. The Embassy also confirmed that three other Chinese miners were injured in the accident.
