Coal news and updates

Russia detains coal tycoon over deadly Siberia mine blast

Russian investigators said Wednesday they had detained tycoon Mikhail Fedyayev after a blast at a coal mine in Siberia that killed 51 people last month.

The Investigative Committee, which probes major crimes, said in a statement that it had charged the owner of the SDS-Ugol company and three other people with violating “industrial safety requirements” and “abuse of authority” that led to “grave consequences” at the group’s Listvyazhnaya mine.

Russia has seen a number of deadly mine blasts in recent years but this was the first time investigators detained the top owner of a mine.

Fedyayev, 59, is one of Russia’s top coal tycoons and is politically well-connected. 

SDS-Ugol is one of Russia’s largest coal producers, and last year Forbes valued Fedyayev’s fortune at $550 million (488 million euros). 

His son Pavel Fedyayev is a senior lawmaker in parliament’s lower house, the State Duma. 

A total of 51 people — including both miners and rescuers — died after smoke filled the Listvyazhnaya mine following an apparent gas explosion in late November.

In the aftermath, miners spoke of frequent safety violations at the site, saying they were forced to work despite high methane concentrations.

Earlier this month, a visibly irritated President Vladimir Putin asked Fedyayev about safety violations at the mine during a televised meeting.

“Is the board of directors monitoring what’s happening in the field of safety or just counting money?” the Russian leader asked the tycoon.

The businessman insisted the company never skimped on safety measures. 

“I am ready to face any responsibility,” he added.

The detentions came after investigators initially held the director of the Listvyazhnaya mine, his first deputy and several other people.

Mining accidents are fairly common in Russia as a result of poor safety standards, a lack of oversight of working conditions and ageing Soviet-era equipment.