13 dead after gold mine collapses in Russia
At least thirteen people died in Russia’s Siberian region Krasnoyarsk Krai as a dam broke early Saturday. Russia’s Emergency Ministry said in a statement, “As of now, 13 people have died.” Officials said the dam on the river broke early Saturday and several workers’ cabins were submerged in water. More than 10 people are being reported missing.
Earlier in a statement issued by the ministry, it was reported that 20 people were injured in the accident, out of which 12 people were killed. According to the local branch of the ministry, the incident occurred at 2 am on Saturday. All emergency relief and rescue teams have been sent to the incident site.
41 people and 12 machine units have been deployed in relief and rescue operations. In addition, two airmobile units, five Mi-8 and Mi-26 helicopters along with two people have been dispatched from the relief and rescue center of Siberia. Regional Governor Alexander Uss said in a TV comment that around 80 people were living in a temporary settlement in the southern region of Krasnoyarsk. Officials said investigations into security rule violations have been initiated.
The krai is among the richest of Russia’s regions in natural resources. Eighty percent of the country’s nickel, 75% of its cobalt, 70% of its copper, 16% of its coal, and 10% of its gold are extracted here. Krasnoyarsk also produces 20% of the country’s timber. More than 95% of Russian resources of platinum and platinoids are concentrated in the krai.
