An uncontrolled explosion was the cause of an accident in which one worker died and five others were injured in an under-construction tunnel near Levoča on Monday, Interior Minister Robert Kaliňák confirmed later in the day. “At around 1 A.M., workers attempted to carry out a controlled explosion in the southern end of the tunnel. As not all of the explosives detonated successfully, a second controlled explosion was performed. Later, when workers were cleaning up, some leftover explosive ignited causing the fatality and injuries,” explained Kaliňák. Police have already launched a criminal investigation into the accident.
Among the injured, four are still in hospital with head and limb wounds. The fifth injured worker emerged with only minor injuries and was released home. The Minister of Transport, Construction and Regional Development Jan Počiatek added that most of the evidence has been already collected and, thus, all related construction work is likely to resume within days.
