Kazakhstan confirmed the nationalisation of ArcelorMittal Temirtau which operates the country's largest steel plants and several coal and ore mines following a coal mine fire that killed at least 32 workers on Saturday, according to emergency services, while another 14 remained unaccounted for. Nearly 252 people were working at the Kostenko coal mine in the Karaganda region at the time of the blaze, the site's operating company, ArcelorMittal Temirtau, confirmed in a statement. It said the fire was believed to have been caused by a pocket of methane gas.
Roughly 252 people were working at the Kostenko coal mine at the time of the blaze, which is believed to have been caused by some amount of methane gas, according to the company. ArcelorMittal operates eight coal mines across the Karaganda region and four iron ore mines in central and northern Kazakhstan.
In the statement, the company conveyed grief at the lives lost and said their efforts “are now aimed at ensuring that affected employees receive comprehensive care and rehabilitation, as well as close cooperation with government authorities”.
ArcelorMittal Temirtau is the local representative for Luxembourg-based multinational ArcelorMittal, the world's second-largest steel producer. This incident marks the latest in a series of workplace deaths at sites operated by the local company.
In August, four miners were killed after a fire erupted at the same mine, while five people died following a methane leak at another site in November 2022.
Meanwhile, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Saturday said that his country is stopping “investment cooperation” with ArcelorMittal Temirtau. The office of Kazakhstan's Prosecutor General has also announced an investigation into potential safety violations in the coal mine.
(with AP inputs)
