Ikona BIP Ikona Portal Pracownika Ikona poczty Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube Linkedin RSS Ikona szukania PLEN

One year passes since the disaster

Ceremonies for the first anniversary of the disaster, in which nine miners died and seven are still being sought, have ended at the Pniówek mine. It was one of the most dramatic days in the history of Polish mining.

photo: Dawid Lach

A mass for the intention of the deceased and missing miners, as well as their families, was held in the mine's communal hall. The joint prayer was led by rev. Piotr Kuczera of the Parish of the Elevation of the Holy Cross in Pawłowice. After the low-key Mass, flowers were laid and candles were lit in front of the statue of St. Barbara, and then the widows officially handed over a painting with the image of the patron saint of miners brought from the Vatican. It was hung in the lobby of the administration building. The modest ceremonies commemorating the mining disaster were attended, among others, by the miners’ families and mine rescue workers, the injured, as well as the mine's authorities, representatives of trade unions and the management of Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa.

The Pniówek mine disaster occurred on 20 April 2022 in longwall N-6, 1,000 meters underground, where a quarter past midnight a methane explosion occurred. There were 42 workers in the danger zone. During the operation, 39 workers managed to be evacuated. After 3:00 a.m., a second methane explosion occurred. Seven workers, including a rescue squad, remained in the affected area. A day later, there was another methane explosion. The manager of the rescue operation decided to temporarily seal off the N-6 longwall area with isolation stoppings.  The action was discontinued on 2 May. Nine miners lost their lives as a result of the methane explosions, and seven are still believed to be missing.

Mine rescuers in the N-6 longwall area returned in February 2023. In accordance with the action plan, they narrowed the size of the sealed off region up to the mining pits located closer to longwall N-6 by building two lightweight chemical foam-based insulation stoppings. The work on narrowing the sealed-off area of longwall N-6 and the penetration of the unsealed N-6 ramp ended the first stage of the search operation.

Further work carried out by rescue workers as a preventive measure consisted of constructing new explosion-proof stoppings, clearing the sealed off mining pits (among others, a 100-meter-long inundated area was removed), and dismantling and taking out old equipment and machinery, including coal haulage equipment, from the roadways.

Currently, work in the N-6 longwall area is focused on restoring the functionality of the N-6 ramp, where the coal haulage conveyors have been rebuilt, and the components have been transported and the roadheader has been assembled for miners to perform dinting. All of this work is necessary to begin excavating a 350-meter roadway parallel to the N-6 longwall, which will allow rescue workers to safely reach the missing miners. According to the plan, roadway drilling is scheduled to begin in June and be completed in August. In early September, already as part of the rescue operation, rescuers will attempt to penetrate the places where the missing miners should be.

Other news

JSW Group increases coal and coke production in Q2 2025

The JSW Group achieved above-plan production results in June and significant increases in quarterly production. This confirms the efficiency of the Group’s of operational management and flexibility to adapt to dynamic market conditions.

Position of the JSW S.A. Management Board

(re. the Position of Representative Trade Unions of JSW S.A. dated 8 July 2025)

The Management Board of JSW S.A. has taken careful note of the concerns expressed by the trade union organizations in their statement of 8 July 2025. The Company's financial standing…

The Pniówek mine puts into operation more longwalls with high-quality coking coal

In the Pniówek mine owned by Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa intensive efforts are underway to rebuild the mining fronts. At the end of June, the new K-2 longwall was put into operation, and the next longwall, W-2, is scheduled to begin operation already in July. The…

JSW requests reconsideration of the windfall tax refund

Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa has submitted a request to the Ministry of Climate and Environment to reconsider its application regarding the overpayment and reimbursement of the so-called solidarity contribution (windfall tax) in the amount of PLN 1.6 billion. This follows…

AI Virtual Assistant already at the disposal of JSW Group employees

Virtual Assistant - AITIS ChatBot is a proprietary solution that allows conversation with an artificial intelligence system in selected subject areas. It has been developed through the efforts of JSW IT Systems employees and the editorial team of the Crew Head’s Zone.…

EU raw materials strategy and Polish perspective - debate in the European Parliament

On 24 June 2025, the European Parliament hosted an event on the EU's critical raw materials strategy, with a special focus on Poland's role. The meeting brought together EU policymakers, industry representatives and financial institutions, creating a space for dialogue…

More news