Bulgaria's Energy Minister: Oranovo Mining Concession Should Have Been Stopped

Bulgaria's Economy and Energy Minister Dragomir Stoynev, photo by BGNES

Dragomir Stoynev, Bulgaria's Economy and Energy Minister, has vowed to remedy the important irregularities uncovered by the tragic accident at the Oranovo coal mine, which claimed at least two lives.

On July 16, a fatal collapse at the Oranovo mine killed 2 miners (Asen Stoynev, 41, and Hristo Mladenov, 45) and left 2 others (Ivan Lazarov, 35, and Nikolay Mihaylov, 42) trapped 450 meters below the surface underneath an avalanche of mud, rocks and water.The search for the two continues.

Speaking Thursday in the southwestern city of Simitli, where he arrived after another man died at work at the Oranovo mine, Stoynev accused the concessionaire of "a total failure to observe the rules", adding that the administrative staff had "criminally abdicated their supervisory duties.'

Bulgaria's Economy and Energy Minister, as cited by the Focus news agency, explained that the concessionaire had operated without an approved work plan for 2013, adding that the administrative officials had been aware of the fact but had nevertheless kept silent about it.

Stoynev also informed that no salaries had been paid at the mine for the second half of 2011 and the entire 2012, stressing that his predecessor and the administration should have taken steps to stop the concession until the workers were paid their dues.

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