This rescue operation will consist of two phases. The first phase began today. The first crews of mine rescue workers descended to the region of longwall N-6 before 6:00 a.m. The rescue workers will first concentrate on narrowing the size of the sealed off region by building new seals.

The rescue crews that descended to the region where the rescue operation is being conducted have already set up rescue base and commenced their work in the sealed off area.

After first airing out the mining pits and securing an atmosphere making it possible to enter the area safely, the rescue workers will start to enter the mining pits and build new insulation seals using chemical foam around longwall N-6.

The rescue operation will come to an end when these seals are put in place. This is the first phase of the search for the seven missing miners. 9 rescue crews on every shift will participate in this operation. In total, 90 rescue crews will take part in the rescue operation slated to be completed by Monday. Most of them are from JSW with 4 of them being from the Central Mine Rescue Station in Bytom.

The first phase of the rescue operation will make it possible to assess the circumstances around longwall N-6 and make the decision on executing the second phase of the search. The mine is considering a scenario in which it will build a new 350-meter mining pit enabling rescue workers to reach the missing miners safely. This may take as long as four to six months.