~ CONFIDENT), READ AND DESTROY ITEM No.7659/54 ° u Sept 2 uI/58 ~ ROMANIA ad inpusTRY 1700) ¢ Wing Tnaustry 2706 Rew Materials | 1710 Soviet Fxploitetion (1711 ad LABOR” 1900) Work Safety {323} Soviet Army 0303) ACCIDENT AT THE PUICA URANIUM MINE. SOURCE MUNICH : Confidential DATE OF OBSTRVATION +: Up to May 1954. EVALUATION COMMENT : This highly interesting although is Feport supplies dtaiied information about 2 dis— eater in an uranium mining center in Transylvania. The report Goes not supply pertinent details of the exploitation ana the technical installations of the sine and the nearby railway stations. Please see in this comuection TRIESTE RFE Item No. 12908/53 on the search for uranium in the GALATI and TORNU SEVERIN areas. See algo ROMS RFR Item Nos.14925/52, 5862/52 and VIENNA RFE Isen Nos 9020/53, and 4661/53. ‘On August 19 1954,in the course 0” o press conference for foreign journalistc,a Rumanian Foreign O2fice epckesmen re- marked that "Our country has greet riches -- forests, oil, coal and every kind of rere metals.” “Le Nation Roumaine" (a Rumanien exile paper published in PARIS) reported in its February 1 1954 issue that, eccording to refugees from Rumania, there are uranium mines in the north-west of Transylvania (Sais Mere Region) where ebout 600 miners are employed (isolated po- litical labor campe inmetes). Taken from “Donsuschweebische Pundsehau.") 1 eae (over)An entire shift of some 500 miners was buried under debris and earth st the uranium mine near the Village of BRICA 10 km south-east of REGHIN in Trensylvania op the 26th. of April 1954 this year when a nine=ringed prop Construction suddenly broke down over the main galery where most of the man were at work at the time. Some of the workers could free themselves and move about; they helped those of the others who were still alive but caught. There was,horever, no hope of escap- ing, with the only entry to the gillery blocked by solid mas~ ses of rocks, etones and earth. 3 Neither the telezhone wires nor the sir Conduct pipe had been affected so thet those alive could continue to exist and mintain contact with the world outside. After more than 35 hours of etrszous efforts an opening was forced into the galery end the men were liberated. 3 : Less than seveaty of the fivehundred miners were still alive and some of them had lost their senses and gone mad. They had to be transported to an asylum. When one of the Russisn guards shot one of the mental casee who had tried to brake away the crowds of relatives waiting outeide for hours on end to hear of the fate of the men broke through an@ attacked the guards. There were serious disorders which finally forced the Russians to fire into the crowds. Seven persons, incl @ women and two children were killed; many more were erfously injured and had to be taken to hospital. The Russians also had two casualties. S Operations in this mine were started in 1949 under Russian mancgement ond control. The premises and the territory surrounding the mine were turned into a Rus- sian Militery Zone. The directore and most of the mining engineers are Rusiens; and all of the mined ore ic shipped to the Soviet Union. Sut Rumania 235 to cupply the miners; and Ruseia expects that only the best men available, who are experienced and at the same tine politically reliable, are Picked. Most of the mon were enlisted in the Valea Zidlus ining district of Rumanie end ordered to go to BEICA. Their containing their persona? particulars and politics) “records, etc. etc. were henéed over to the Russian security forces. Their families were settled in nearby villages and im barracks near the mine. All the guerds at the mine are goldiers (over)supplied by the Red Army units stationed in the Timisoara district. There is elso a large ¥/D detachnent in charge of tae ay; No Humapion seldiers or militia nen are allowed on the premises or in the eurrow.din: area. Work in the mine is very stremons; ond miners are given short helidays every four to five monthe in order to reet ond get fit again. Berracks have been erected on the premices to serve as recreation centers during off-hours, There are also bar— Packs end buildings housing the dministretive offices and serving station me £or the Red Army men uarding the mine. A fisst cla jigtion has now been converted invo a omsll hospital fomer- ing a series of accidents. bven the medical staff is Russian end no Rumenian dectors have been employed. There has already been 2 serious accident involving qhe lees of many lives in the autumn of 19525 ana eee since there have been minor eccidents, the Rumanian aicens accuse the laxity of seturity measures ard assert that the Russians, though they want all the ore, will not do anything for the farety of the Rumanian workere."! Rumanian life nea nothing fo them a8 long es they cen get held of the Pumenios ore.* But no-one dares speak out loi because there ore co meny Jeet etich miners have disappeared, with their families ieft eturving. And there are mony agente of the Russians eli over the place to listen in and to report. The extracted ore is psched in boxes and chipped by trucks to the rsilwey station from whete it goes by_epecial trains under guard to the Sovi Union, "Not a single grain Fomaing in Rumania." Aad no ons hes ever heard whether it ae paid for or whether Russia is delivering other goods for it to Rumania. Rumours among the population have it that the ore ie simply taken away. The ore is aeh-grey ani when crusbling suill bits of bright crystal appear. Ena. LIMITED DISTRIBUTION READ AND DFSTROY