https://void.cat/d/H9HAvQfLQnbAjPps6bAXof.webp

The worst mine disaster in Kazakhstan's post-Soviet history has prompted the government to nationalize a multinational corporation's local affiliate.

ArcelorMittal, a steel giant based in Luxembourg operates 15 factories and mines in the center of the former Soviet republic.

Saturday's disaster the latest in a series of incidents at ArcelorMittal-owned mines killed at least 45 miners. About 200 miners have died in Kazakhstan since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the vast majority at ArcelorMittal sites.

Trade unions, relatives of victims, and local politicians have repeatedly called for tighter government control and for the steel giant to be held accountable before a criminal court, due to its inadequate safety standards.

There have been rumors that the Kazakh government would turn the holdings over to foreign investors, which arguably forced the government to later clarify that they were nationalizing the holdings.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called ArcelorMittal “the worst enterprise in Kazakhstan’s history in terms of cooperation with the government,” ordering cooperation with the Luxembourg-based company to be “brought to an end.”

ArcelorMittal is the second-biggest steel producer in the world, accounting for approximately 10% of the world’s steel production.

#Kazakhstan #MineAccident #ArcelorMittal