Following the publication of yesterday's case, where a miner was injured in the galleries of the copper mine in Spaç and the event was being attempted to be kept hidden by the Turkish company "Tete Albania" and the police, the Confederation of Trade Unions of Albania denounces once again that numerous accidents in the country's mines are not made public, increasing concern for the safety of employees.
According to inspectors' reports, in the first two months of 2026, 3 accidents occurred in the mining galleries in Bulqiza, but the cases were not made public.
On February 6, 38-year-old miner Ardian Manuka, employed by the RAFA GROUP company, was hit in the left leg by a piece of mineral while working in the gallery, causing a fracture. The accident occurred while the employee was checking the work front and was in the role of supervisor, while inspectors stated that the injured person's own failure to assess the risk caused the incident.
On February 21, 2026, in the galleries managed by the Çupi Group company, 45-year-old employee Dritan Kadi, who was working as an underground wagon driver, was injured while cleaning and loading material in gallery 37/1. A piled-up stone rolled over and hit him in the left leg, causing a fracture in the lower part. Inspectors determined that the accident was related to the movement of the material and the employee's carelessness during the operation.
On the same day, in the galleries managed by the Albmine & Chrome company, worker Aqif Peti, 47, was injured while constructing the reinforcement in Gallery 15. A wooden cap slipped during assembly and hit him on the foot. Inspectors noted that the slipping of the wet wooden elements and their weight, together with the worker’s lack of care, caused the accident. In all three cases, inspectors recommended retraining of workers on safety rules, increased attention to areas with the risk of moving materials, reinforcement of the reinforcements and installation of protective railings.
Based on these reports, the Confederation of Trade Unions of Albania makes strong accusations against the companies, stating that employees perform work outside their profession and professional and physical capacities, and that the mine lacks qualified personnel for occupational safety and health, safety councils do not function, and legal risk assessments are not carried out.
