WISMUT MINE EXPLOSION AT AUE, 15 JULY 1955

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A008100320011-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 9, 2008
• Sequence Number: 11
• Publication Date: October 3, 1955
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2008/01/09: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA008100320011-8
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
COUNTRY East Germany
SUBJECT Wismut Mine Explosion at Aue,
15 July 1955
DATE OF INFO.
PLACE ACQUIRED
DATE ACQUIRED
This material contains information affecting the
National Defense of the United States within the
meaning of the Espionage Laws, Title 18, U.S.C.
Secs. 793 and 794, the transmission or revel-
ation of which In any manner to an unauthorized
person Is prohibited by law.
REPORT
DATE DISTR. 3 October 1955
NO. OF PAGES 1 25X1
REQUIREMENT NO. RD
REFERENCES
This is UNEVALUATED
Information
THE SOURCE EVALUATIONS IN THIS REPORT ARE DEFINITIVE,
THE APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE,
(FOR KEY SEE REVERSE)
1. The fire leading to the catastrophic explosions in the Wismut minas at
Aue started on the ninth level, on the borderline between Minsa 207 and
200. Mine 208 was completely burned out; 207 and 250 were severely damaged,
and 66 considerably affected. It will take about three years to restore
these mines to full operation. Mines 13 and 38 were forced to close opera-
tions for eight days after the explosion. 25X1
2. Three or four days after the explosion, the Party Secretary of Wismut
the explosion had been sabotage in Mines 207 and 66. In the former, evidenoe,.w?~y
had boon found that a high-tension wire had been sabotaged; in the latter,
the elevator oabla had been out. The workers did not seem to believe the
sabotage eol)1anation.. One of the mine electricians stated that he had been
warning the management for some time that too many motors were being hooked
up to the same cable and fire was likely to result sooner or later.
3. Vehicles frog all over East Germany were sent to relieve the situation at Au..,,,,
Ninety or 100 vehicles came from the 8iegmar motor pool alone. The hospital,g,,
at Aue, Stolbdrg3 Schneeberg, and Zwickau were full of casualties.
1, .1
Since Aue had'` inadequate facilities for producing oxygen, oxygen a251"1
'
oxygen-producing equipment had to be brought in from other places. ti?I
The trolley traffic in Karl-Marx-Stadt was out off because of the mine ex-
plosion.
6. The Soviet director of Mines 207 and 250, Malyavka (fnu), was killed in the
25X1
STATE X ARMY j Y NAVY X
(Note: Washington distribution indicated by "X"; Field distribution by
Approved For Release 2008/01/09: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA008100320011-8