A 26-year-old worker dies in the Súria potash mine

BarcelonaA 26-year-old worker died this Wednesday in an accident at the Cabanasses potash mine, in Súria (Bages). The events took place at eleven in the morning, when the victim was in one of the continuous miners where everything points to a wall collapse, as explained in a statement by the company ICL Iberia. The company "immediately" activated the emergency protocol and the mine, where there were about 240 people, was evacuated.

As detailed from Súria by the Minister of the Presidency of the Generalitat, Albert Dalmau, the potash mine underwent its last inspection by the Directorate General of Industry a few days ago, on July 21. In statements to the media after meeting with company representatives, Dalmau detailed that the accident occurred at an approximate depth of between 750 and 900 meters underground, and that the Government has opened an investigation to determine its causes and take "the necessary measures", in parallel to the judicial investigation.

Minister Dalmau detailed that the victim was a resident of Sant Martí de Torroella and the mayor of Súria, Albert Coberó, explained that he belonged to a family linked to mining activity "for many years". The mayor pointed out that when the accident alert arrived, there was "uncertainty" about what could have happened. The final toll was one fatality, one less seriously injured person transferred to the hospital, and another treated who did not require hospital transfer. The mayor acknowledged that this Wednesday is a "tough" day for the town and for mining activity and stated that he remembered several accidents that had taken place at the mine.

The possible cause

Around 11:10 AM, the Emergency Medical System (SEM) alerted the Mossos d'Esquadra about the accident inside the mine. Both the Mossos and the company are now investigating the causes of the incident, although the police suggest that investigators are working with the hypothesis of a possible rockfall inside. The Mossos have notified the duty court of the events. Patrols of citizen security and the Mossos' Subsoil Unit have been dispatched to the scene. The SEM has activated four ambulances and two psychology teams.

From the unions, CCOO has stated that it will ensure that "the causes" of the incident are clarified and "possible responsibilities" are determined. Furthermore, it has demanded that ICL Iberia's management "implement all necessary safety measures, as well as proper maintenance of the mine's facilities" to guarantee the safety of the workers, recalling that "this is not the first serious accident to occur." For its part, USOC has emphasized the need to investigate the causes of the events and to strengthen occupational risk prevention and all safety measures to prevent tragedies like this from happening again.

In view of the incident and as a sign of mourning, activity in the rest of the facilities of Iberpotash, the parent company of ICL Iberia, has been interrupted. The management of the Spanish subsidiary has deeply regretted the accident and has conveyed its condolences and solidarity to the family, colleagues, and friends of the victim.

Illa conveys condolences to the family

The President of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, also extended his condolences to the family and colleagues of the fatal victim and expressed his gratitude to the emergency teams and all the professionals working there. Illa explained that he had contacted the mayor of Súria to learn the latest information about the accident.

In recent years, other fatal accidents have been recorded in Bages during mining extraction work. In 2013, three workers died there. In 2015, there was a fatal victim at the Vilafruns mine, in Balsareny, where in 2020, two other workers died in another accident. Subsequently, in 2023, three people aged 28, 29, and 31 died in a gallery of the Súria mine located about 900 meters deep when a rock weighing about two tons fell on them.