“Summing up the work done during the night, I would like to thank all the rescue workers and their families, too for their patience. This work is taking place in extreme conditions. 650 people have participated in this underground operation since Saturday”, said Daniel Ozon, CEO of JSW. 17 rescue crews are presently working underground, and 34 crews are involved in total. The distance yet to cover in this mining pit is 15 m from one side and 75 m from the other side.

The crisis management team has made the decision to take actions in three different directions in this search and rescue operation. “The first one is to start pumping out water; the next one is to drill a technological borehole; and the third one is to engage a crew of divers to explore the flooded area”, Daniel Ozon explained to journalists during the press conference. Rescue workers from KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. arrived at Zofiówka during the night. Their task will be to check the roadway and assess to what extent the divers will be able to work in the region surrounding the flooded section of the underground mining pit.

The mine rescue workers are continuing to install additional meters of ventilation pipe, they are sorting through the rubble and they are installing four pumps with hoses. These devices should begin operating this evening. It may take 8 to 10 hours to pump out the water. This afternoon, a drilling rig should be installed in round-shaped tunnel F at the 900 m level to drill a borehole of 100 m in length to the level just below the H10 roadway and just above the flooded area. Drilling may take 20 to 24 hours. This will make it possible, among other things, to insert a video camera into the mining pit.

Unless a breakthrough takes place, the next report will be made around 6 p.m.