OREANDA-NEWS. August 25, 2009. By the end of 2009 additional UAH 100 million will be allocated to ensure safety of labour at coal mining enterprises. The Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko announced during a Round table dedicated to the development of coal branch.

“The topmost priority in development of the branch appears safety of people working underground,” the Head of Government stressed.

According to the Premier, by the end of 2010 it is planned to create cutting edge and most effective system of life protection, the system of observation control in every mine. At this, she noted, already this year owing to additional financing the branch would yield serious results in this direction.

On opening the meeting Yulia Tymoshenko reminded that in the result of tragedy which occurred on August 23 at the Kirov mine in Makiyivka 8 miners died, 15 miners more received injuries and are being in hospital now: “All of us know very well which is the price, and it is the price of lives and health of people, the coal is extracted in Ukraine”.

The Head of Government commissioned the Minister of Coal Industry and Minister of Labour and Social Policy to leave for the place of tragedy immediately after the meeting in order to meet with families of the dead miners and victims.

“The Government will make all necessary steps to support the families and not to leave them with their grief alone,” Yulia Tymoshenko underlined.

On proposition of the Prime Minister the participants of the round table honoured the memory of the dead miners with a minute’s silence.