In the announcement, they also stated that the incident happened last night, around 11:00 p.m., in the area of Severni Revir, and that they expect a quick reaction from the authorities.
“A group of campers, which allegedly protects Mount Starica from mining and claims to care for the environment, caused physical injuries to an employee of the RBM company and set fire to an Epiroc brand drill, worth 520,000 euros,” the company added.
They stated that the injured worker was operating the drill that was set on fire and that he gave a statement to the police.
They reported that in that statement he stated that he was attacked by three masked men, wearing black hoods and masks over their faces, which only had slits for the eyes.
It is added that in that statement it is stated that they “were armed with a metal pipe, a lit torch and a pistol”.
“They required him to leave the driller’s cabin, after which they hit him several times and intimidated him with a lit torch,” the statement reads.
They added that “after receiving injuries, the injured and frightened worker ran away”.
“This is another act of vandalism, in a series of many that preceded it, which creates additional tension and fear for employees of the Serbia ZiJin Copper company, and the residents of Majdanpek,” the statement said.
They stated that they had already informed the public about the damage they suffered, about the destruction of equipment, the threatened safety of employees and the impossibility of the work process at this location.
The company also stated that, “after reporting the case to the competent authorities, they expect their quick reaction, in order to”, as they pointed out, prevent further escalation of vandal attacks on property and employees.
They are also asking for a “detailed investigation into who is encouraging such actions by campers on Starica”, which, as they stated, are actually criminal acts.
Mihajlović: That the institutions react due to the attack on the worker and the burning equipment of Zidjin a on Starica
The Minister of Mining and Energy, Zorana Mihajlović, today called on the institutions to react urgently due to the attack on a worker and the arson of the equipment of the Chinese company Ziđin on Mount Starica.
In a statement, she stated that “Cuta’s (leader of the Ecological Uprising and MP Aleksandar Jovanović Ćuta) protesters and so-called activists have been threatening the safety of workers for weeks and threatening them with weapons.”
She added that “because of this, 60 people are already out of work,” her cabinet reported
She warned that after last night’s attack, hundreds of people may lose their jobs, which, according to her, proves that the goal is to stop mining in Majdanpek.
“It is not activism, nor a fight for the environment, but vandalism and breaking the law,” she said.
She stated that “the statements of Jovanović in the media and the physical attacks on the field” act, as she assessed, “as premeditated and coordinated actions”.
“While property is being destroyed and threats are being made with weapons in Majdanpek, Ćuta is asking for the work to be suspended, even though he is not interested in what expert people with college degrees, which he does not have, say about the rehabilitation of the rock mass on Starica,” she added.
She accused Jovanovic of “telling untruths and lies” and of “alarming people and manipulating in order to achieve political benefits and reach the media, and at the same time using the institution of the Parliament of Serbia”, of which he is a member.
“Now his goal is to stop mining and make tens of thousands of people jobless. Who did he… ask about that, certainly not the citizens,” said Mihajlović.
She said that the state is the guarantor of all people and companies that operate in accordance with the laws, regardless of whether they are citizens of Serbia or not.
She stressed that “the state guarantees the safety and smooth operation of all investors and companies, regardless of whose ownership they are”, and pointed out that “in this case, the state owns 37 percent”.
“We will not allow those who are pests and think they can destroy someone’s job or endanger someone’s life to continue to do so, that’s why an urgent reaction of the competent institutions is needed,” she said.
She repeated that rehabilitation of the rock mass on Starica is necessary and that the inspector’s findings showed that the cracks represent a potential danger that can cause landslides and slides of the rock mass.
The Chinese company Zidjin (Serbia ZiJin Copper) previously announced that a “group of campers” beat its employee and set fire to equipment worth half a million euros on Starica mountain.
In the announcement, they also stated that the incident happened last night, around 11:00 p.m., in the area of the Northern District, and that they expect a quick reaction from the authorities.