Authorities in Russia’s Far East have called off the two-week rescue operation to reach 13 workers trapped deep underground in a collapsed gold mine, declaring them deceased. The decision came after persistent efforts to pump out water that flooded the mine and made the rescue operations increasingly perilous.
The miners became trapped on March 18 at a depth of approximately 125 meters (400 feet) when a section of the mine collapsed in the Zeysk district of the Amur region, located about 5,000 kilometers (3,000 miles) east of Moscow. Despite the deployment of around 200 rescuers and powerful pumps, it mine remained flooded, and the risk of further collapses posed a significant threat to the emergency responders.
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Regional authorities and the mine operator announced the termination of rescue efforts on Monday, acknowledging the grave situation and the potential for additional sections of the mine to collapse. The company operating the mine, one of Russia’s largest, has pledged to provide compensation to the families of the victims.
While the cause of the initial accident remains undetermined, most mining incidents in Russia have been attributed to violations of safety regulations in the past. Authorities have not yet revealed the specific reasons behind this particular incident.
In a separate incident on Monday, news agencies reported that one worker died, and five others were trapped following an explosion that caused a rock collapse in an iron mine in Russia’s central Sverdlovsk region. The explosion, which occurred approximately 338 meters (1,080 feet) underground, was part of a planned operation. Three of the trapped miners were brought to the surface and hospitalized in serious condition, while rescue efforts continue for the remaining two.
(With Inputs from AP)
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In a career spanning three decades and counting, Ramananda (Ram to his friends) has been the foreign editor of The Telegraph, Outlook Magazine and the New Indian Express. He helped set up rediff.com’s editorial operations in San Jose and New York, helmed sify.com, and was the founder editor of India.com.
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