Widows Of Miners Killed In Romanian Coal Mine Blast To Get Jobs At National Coal Company

The minister added Government officials will have a meeting with the victims' families.

"I want to assure the families that we are by their side. I come from a family of miners, my father was a miner, it's tragic that such accidents happen but you know as well as I do that such accidents will occur as long as there is mining," Botis said.

Five people died Saturday afternoon in a powerful blast likely caused by a methane gas accumulation. The five, one engineer and four electricians, were servicing a power transformer. A second blast occurred after rescuers managed to bring out the bodies. No one was injured in the second blast.

About 800 miners are employed at the state-owned mine, which is due to be shut down by 2018.

Prosecutors have opened an investigation into the accident.

Economy Minister Ion Ariton said the investigation could last between 30 and 60 days. The minister also said a meeting has been set for Thursday with the finance and labor ministers to discuss the restructuring of mines in the Jiu Valley.

In summer 2008, 13 people were killed and 14 injured in a similar explosion at the coal mine in nearby Petrila.

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