The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine will allocate UAH 200 million for the purchase of personal protective gear for miners working at Ukrainian mines.
The relevant decision was announced by Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman after visiting mine No. 10 Stepova of JSC Lvivvuhillia in the village of Hlukhiv in Lviv region`s Sokalskiy district, where an explosion took place on Thursday, March 2.
”Today, as stated by representatives of the Ministry of Energy and Coal Industry of Ukraine, we do not have sufficient protective equipment for miners. We need UAH 200 million to this end. I made a commitment and will fulfill it – the miners will get an additional UAH 200 million to be provided personal protective gear. There is nothing more precious than life and health of the miners who work in such difficult conditions,” he said.
Groysman also reminded that in 2017, the government allocated UAH 1.8 billion for the modernization and funding the mining, mostly at public mines. In the next two weeks, according to Groysman, the Minister of Energy and Coal Industry Ihor Nasalyk will present a plan of mines` modernization.
”The main thing is safety, life and health of miners. No coal is worth the loss of life,” Groysman said.
At the same time, he noted that those responsible for the deaths of miners at Lviv mine would be held accountable.
”The explosion occurred from the ignition of methane air mixture. The commission will name specific reasons. But as far as I was informed, the sensors had to signal, but they didn`t. There is no explanation so far why it happened so,” Groysman said.
