The Spanish mining town of Ciñera de Gordón in León is facing economic hardship following the closure of the coal mining industry on January 1, 2019. Former miner and ex-mayor Juan Carlos Lorenzana criticizes the lack of financial aid and the prohibition of other industries in the area. The closure is part of a broader EU directive affecting unprofitable coal mines. The decline of the mining industry has led to significant depopulation and economic challenges in northern Spain, with similar impacts observed in Germany.

On October 28, a mining accident at the Emilio del Valle pit in Santa Lucía de Gordón, León, resulted in the death of six workers due to asphyxiation from a gas leak, marking the worst accident in Spanish mining in 20 years. A miner, A.S., who prefers to remain anonymous, recounts the day of the accident and defends the mine's safety measures. The miners, including one named Orlando, died due to a lack of oxygen following the gas leak. The community reflects on the 'mining culture' and the lack of industrial alternatives in the region, with a pre-retired miner, Juan Carlos Lorenzana, recalling a missed opportunity to bring a Renault plant to the area. The miners feel abandoned by politicians and express a sense of suffocation not just from the gas but also from the lack of support, with criticism directed at both the current and previous governments.

Six miners have died in a methane gas leak at the Emilio del Valle mine between the towns of Santa Lucía and Llombera de Gordón, marking the worst accident in the region in 18 years. The incident coincides with severe budget cuts to mine safety. Minister Soria has visited the province but not the accident site, drawing criticism for his response. Investigations are pending to determine the impact of the lack of safety funding on the accident, while the local communities mourn the loss, their streets draped in mourning blacker than the coal itself.