Authorities in the area reported on Tuesday, March 19, that thirteen men were trapped in a gold mine that had collapsed in far eastern Russia.
The Amur region’s officials said that a portion of the mine in the Zeysk district had caved in. According to the regional prosecutor’s office, as many as fifteen miners may still be buried underground. However, the Emergencies Ministry said that thirteen were trapped.
A search and rescue mission has been initiated. According to Russian media, rescuers attempted to use a ventilation hole to reach the miners, who were reportedly stranded 410 feet deep.
After a rockslide struck the Pioneer mine, workers battled water and debris to rescue the miners on Wednesday.
According to Amur Governor Vasily Orlov’s Telegram message, the stranded miners have not been contacted but are thought to be alive. Orlov said that a camera may be lowered into the channel to evaluate the situation and establish communication connections.
According to a relative of one of the miners who became trapped, the miners were allegedly hammering on a pipe. Four of them, according to Rimma Akhmadeyeeva, were from Sibay, her birthplace in the Urals portion of Bashkortostan province.
According to local reports, the amount of rubble at the remote mine, controlled by UMMC, a copper and gold company affected by sanctions, was nine times more than first thought.
According to Anatoly Suprunovsky, deputy director of Russia’s Emergency Situations Ministry, a group of seasoned rescuers from the Kuzbas mining area in Siberia has come to help. They have brought specialized machinery to the mine near the Chinese border.
An inquiry into a possible violation of safety regulations has already been initiated by the relevant authorities. Russian mines and industry have a tragic history of fatal incidents caused by a lack of safety precautions.
Russian Minister of Emergencies Alexander Kurenkov said on Tuesday that rescuers were working quickly to get through several hundred feet every two hours.
