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Cerredo Mine Blast Probe Details Methane Alarm Before Fireball, Gas Detector Found Switched Off

New depositions describe weeks of unpermitted extraction preceding the March 31 explosion.

Overview

  • Five workers were killed in a methane explosion at the Cerredo mine on March 31, with several others injured.
  • A survivor told Guardia Civil his gas meter was already alarming and showing an X for more than 5% methane just before he saw a fireball and the blast.
  • A rescue brigade member reported finding an MSA ALTAIR 4X detector at the scene switched off and missing its clip, noting such devices must stay on underground.
  • Witnesses said coal had been removed daily without a permit for one to two months—estimated at up to about 60 tonnes a day—and recalled earlier ventilation problems that caused dizziness.
  • Other employees testified that gas measurements were always carried out with no prior incidents, as the judge and Guardia Civil continue collecting statements and physical evidence.