Russia ends efforts to rescue gold miners trapped for two weeks
A rescue mission aimed at saving 13 gold miners trapped by a landslide in the far east of Russia has concluded with the miners presumed deceased, according to reports from Russian media.
Efforts to reach the trapped miners at the Pioneer mine in the Amur region had to be halted due to concerns about potential further rock collapses.
The landslide occurred two weeks ago, leaving the miners trapped more than 100 meters (328 feet) underground. Areas that could have potentially served as shelter were found to be flooded.
The mine, which is among the world’s largest and one of Russia’s most productive, is now the focus of an investigation into a possible breach of safety regulations. Last week, the managing director of the facility was arrested.
Interfax news agency cited the operator Pokrovsky Mine as stating, “On 1 April, a decision was made to conclude the rescue operation at the Pioneer mine.”
Officials said that cameras passed through boreholes drilled into the mine had shown that any areas that could have been used as hiding places by the trapped miners had been flooded with water, clay and ice.
“There is a risk to the lives of rescuers and staff of the mine taking part in the operation,” Pokrovsky Mine’s statement added.
Mine accidents are frequent in Russia, and are often blamed on poor safety standards and corruption.
In 2019 more than 15 gold miners were killed and dozens injured when a dam collapsed near their mine in the Krasnoyarsk region of Siberia, flooding their accommodation.
