Professional paper
Fire and explosions in mines
Marko Bašić
Abstract
According to statistics the numbers of injured people in pit explosions in the world ammounted to 19.002 in 168 explosions from 1839-1925, that is an average or 113 in each explosion. There were 1477 casualties between 1844-1922 in 29 fires i. e. an average or 50. These numbers include only explosions and fires with more than 10 wictims. Statistic dates are not complete. In the last years there were two great explosions in Yugoslavia: 1934 in Kakanj with 127 killed and 1940 in Raša with alleged 400 dead. The greatest number of person does not die of mechanical or termical effects of the explosion itself, but through poisoning with suffocating or poisonous gases. Fire starts when combustible materials (wood. coal, coal dust) catch fire or owing lo explosion of explosive gases. Pit explosions are caused by explosion of a mixture of methan and air. Heaviest explosion are caused when the air contains 9.5% of methan. Methan is the result of carbonising process and is to be found in every mine. Coal dust floating in the air is also highly explosive of large scale explosions and great number of casualties.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
188967
URI
Publication date:
25.3.1947.
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