On May 3, a newly excavated mine shaft collapsed in the operation of the "Mramor" mine, and miner Asim Šehanović was buried.
The management then announced that the Rescue Service had been activated, and that members of the Rescue Company would work without interruption until the miners were found.
The mine union said that the accident occurred at a depth of more than 170 meters.
The Tuzla Canton Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP TK) announced that the federal mining inspector and the police are securing the scene, and that the prosecutor on duty is aware of everything.
The "Mramor" plant started its exploitation in 1958 and is one of the few remaining underground coal mines within "Kreka", the oldest mine in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with about 2.000 employees. It is one of seven mines in the territory of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and has been facing financial problems for years.
Due to unpaid taxes, the mine's accounts were blocked on several occasions, and the miners demanded their rights by striking. The total debts of mines in this entity on all grounds amount to more than 460 million euros.