19 March 2024 , 16:05
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Rescuers are battling to reach 13 miners trapped underground following a rockfall in one of Russia ’s largest gold mines.
The Pioneer mine, owned by London-listed gold producer Petropavlovsk, is in Russia’s Amur region, far to the east of the massive country. A state of emergency has been declared in the area after the collapse at the Pioneer Mine, one of Russia’s largest.
Some 25 specialists from the Neryungri paramilitary mountain rescue platoon of the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry have been dispatched to the mine in the remote Zeya district.
Rescuers are working to reach the miners by using a ventilation shaft, according to local media reports. "There's little information so far,” said Igor Namakonov, head of the Centre for Civil Defence and Emergency Situations in the far-flung district.
Footage from Russian TV shows rescue efforts taking place at the mine, which is close to the border with China in the gold-rich Amur province. The “roof of the gold mine collapsed” blocking any exit for the workers who are up to 500ft underground, according to reports.
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Some 9,000 cubic metres of rubble collapsed - enough to fill more than three Olympic sized swimming pools. Rescuers faced removing a wall of fallen rock some 20 metres [65ft] high and 60 metres [197ft] in length.
Rescue efforts are underway to free the trapped miners in Russia's eastern Amur region (Emercom/east2west news)"Communications are being restored and mechanised clearing of the transport slope is being carried out," said the ministry. Russian state investigators have opened a criminal case into the violation of safety rules at the mine.
Investigators seized documentation from the mine managers and are interrogating witnesses to the rock collapse, said reports The incident could be a blow to Vladimir Putin's government amid an increased reliance on gold during the war against Ukraine.
A desperate fight is underway to save the lives of 13 miners trapped underground at one of Russia’s largest gold mines (Emercom/east2west news)Meanwhile four weeks ago at least nine miners were trapped at a gold mine in Turkey when a landslide rushed down a gully at the Copler mine operated by Anagold Mining in the town of Ilic in Erzincan province.
Around 800 people in search and rescue teams were deployed to the mountainous area to save their colleagues and friends. Meanwhile experts warned of the dangers of cyanide-laced soil from gold extraction processes being leaked into the local ecosystem.