STORY: 4 die in coal mine accident in south Poland
SHOOTING TIME: Nov. 28, 2023
DATELINE: Nov. 30, 2023
LENGTH: 00:02:29
LOCATION: Warsaw
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the exterior of the Sobieski Mine
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Polish): MARCIN MASLAK, Spokesman for Tauron
3. various of the Sobieski Mine
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Polish): MARCIN MASLAK, Spokesman for Tauron
5. various of mine shaft
6. SOUNDBITE 3 (Polish): MARCIN MASLAK, Spokesman for Tauron
7. various of Tauron company logo
8. SOUNDBITE 4 (Polish): MARCIN MASLAK, Spokesman for Tauron
9. various of workers walking inside the mine complex

STORYLINE:

Four people died in a coal mine accident in the Silesia province in south Poland, the state mining authority (WUG) said on Tuesday.
   
The accident occurred at 3:30 p.m. local time (1430 GMT) in the Sobieski coal mine at the level of 600 meters underground in Jaworzno of the Silesia province, when a six-person brigade was designated to flush the backfill pipeline, said Piotr Strzoda, a WUG dispatcher.

"During the water filling of the pipeline, an uncontrolled rupture occurred, resulting in the deaths of three people at the scene. Later, information came in that a fourth person had died," the dispatcher was quoted by the Polish Press Agency, adding that the other two were hospitalized.

The Tauron Wydobycie company, which owns the mine, issued a statement confirming the death of four workers and the rescue operation was concluded at around 8:35 p.m. local time (1935 GMT).

The backfill pipeline is used to fill the voids created by coal mining, with a mixture of water with non-toxic solid materials including ashes, sands and inert rocks, etc.
   
SOUNDBITE 1 (Polish): MARCIN MASLAK, Spokesman for Tauron 
"We had a fatal accident involving multiple people in the Sobieski Mine. Four miners were killed. The rescue action was concluded at 20:30. The bodies of all the victims were then transferred to the surface."
  
SOUNDBITE 2 (Polish): MARCIN MASLAK, Spokesman for Tauron
"The circumstances of the accident are being investigated by the prosecutors and the Supreme Mining Authority. We need to wait until they reveal their findings."
   
SOUNDBITE 3 (Polish): MARCIN MASLAK, Spokesman for Tauron
"In the area where the Sobieski Mine is located, methane is not considered a natural hazard. So, in other words, potential geological factors are irrelevant. We don't know what caused the accident."

SOUNDBITE 4 (Polish): MARCIN MASLAK, Spokesman for Tauron
"We must wait until more details are revealed as to the cause and circumstances of the tragedy. First, some work must be done at the accident site by the experts. Then the supervising institutions, including the Supreme Mining Authority, will present their reports."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Warsaw.
(XHTV)