There is opinion stating that “: Asbest city in Russia, a big asbestos mining in the world, is a dead city”. Is it true?

Vietnamnet News published the following 3 reports: The heartbroken truth about the asbestos city in Russia (Part I, dated August 4th 2014); The heartbroken truth about asbestos city in Russia (Part II, dated August 5th 2015); The journey to the truth in asbestos city, dated August 11th 2014.

To date, Asbest city (in Yekaterinburg provine) has existed for 130 years with an asbestos mine exploitable in the next 150 years. The concentration of asbestos in rock is 2.3%. The exploitation site’s length is 11.5 kilometers; its width is 1.8 kilometers and its depth is 340 meters.

In 2014, a Vietnamese delegation visited the city and worked with Russia National Institute of Occupational Health (that has been operating for 91 years) and the city of Asbest. The delegation learnt about the library, asbestos mines, factory, health center, schools, kinder gartens, sports center, people’s lives in mining and manufacturing areas. This city is the largest manufacturer of asbestos in the world. At that time, it was celebrating its 125th year of operation. The Institute Vice President of No. 1 Hospital, Ms. Ustyugova Victoria Igorevna said: the birth rate is 13.5% out of 1,000 people (that rate in 2012 was 15.3%; in 2008 was 13.2%; in 2007 was 12.9%). The regional average rate in 2009 is 12.9%. The mortality rate is 15.2/1,000, lower than other cities in Russia. Therefore, the birth rate and mortality rate are equal.

In 2013, the hospital checked 9,854 workers, the result showed that the leading cause of deaths were respiratoy diseases, blood circulation, cancer, injured and poisoned, eye diseases.