Alexey Burkser, the former head of PJSC Alrosa's Mir diamond mine in Russia that flooded in August 2017 killing eight miners, was found dead in a pre-trial detention center on Oct. 8, Reuters reported the same day, citing Russian investigating authorities.
Burkser and the mine's former chief engineer, Alexander Mann, were arrested the day before on suspicions of violating safety rules at the site.
A regional branch of the federal Investigative Committee noted signs of the death being a suicide, the newswire added.
Investigators think there were indications that water was coming into the mine a month before the accident, and suspect Burkser and Mann were aware of the situation but chose not to suspend operations or ensure the safety of the workers, Reuters said, citing the Interfax news agency.
In early June, Alrosa said restoring the underground Mir mine to production could take 12 to 13 years and cost 73 billion Russian rubles, or about US$1.12 billion.
As of Oct. 7, US$1 was equivalent to 64.84 Russian rubles.
