ROME, Aug 29 (Reuters) - A Sardinian miner slashed his wrist in front of television cameras on Wednesday as some 100 fellow workers stayed barricaded underground in a campaign to keep Italy's only coal pit open.
"We cannot take it any more. We cannot! We cannot!" Stefano Meletti, 49, shouted to reporters in a dark chamber of the Carbosulcis mine, where miners armed with explosives have locked themselves in since Sunday night.
"If someone here has decided to the kill miners' families, ladies and gentlemen, we'll cut ourselves, we'll cut ourselves," the helmeted miner said, grabbing a knife from his back pocket and hacking twice at his arm.
Two startled miners standing beside Meletti during an impromptu underground press conference grabbed his arms and tackled him to the ground.
Meletti, who has worked at the mine for 24 years, was taken to a nearby hospital where doctors said his condition was stable.
Carbosulcis, which employs 500 people, supplies a nearby power plant run by state controlled energy giant Enel. But the miners say the company does not buy enough coal to ensure the mine's survival during a deep recession in Italy.
The miners hope to pressure the government into approving a plan to convert Carbosulcis into a joint mining and carbon-capture project, in which carbon dioxide is stored underground to mitigate global warming.
But government Undersecretary of Economic Development Claudio De Vincenti dampened hopes of such a project on Wednesday, telling an Italian newspaper that the carbon-capture conversion would cost 250 million euros a year for eight years.
"That's almost 200,000 euros per miner. It's an unsustainable cost," he told daily La Repubblica.
The government is due to meet Sardinian regional government leaders later this week to discuss the future of the area.
The island, which has an unemployment rate of 16 percent, has mounting economic problems. Aluminium group Alcoa, a major employer, will close its loss-making smelter in the south of the island within a year unless it can find a buyer.
"Do not make us lose our reason to live. Do not make us lose our reason altogether," said union representative Giancarlo Sau, one of the miners who grabbed Meletti. "We are ready to do crazy things." (Reporting by Naomi O'Leary; Editing by Barry Moody and Jon Hemming)
Support HuffPost
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.
Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.
Would you join us to help keep our stories free for all? Your contribution of as little as $2 will go a long way.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you’ll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.