Rescue teams discover a fast gas leak in the mine while Hans remains trapped among blasting caps and dangerously low oxygen. Walter urges caution, but Dr. Lind's helicopter arrives and superiors demand Lind's safety above all. Ms. Scott insists on taking the detonator, defies Walter's protests that Hans is still inside, and triggers the blast to seal the entrance. The explosion collapses 132 coal pillars and destroys the mine mouth. Ms. Scott hurries off toward Kiki's birthday, but Hans's survival and the moral cost of her decision hang unresolved.