The Associated Press
MOSCOW — A fire broke out Thursday in a gold and metals mine in Siberia, and more than 30 miners were still inside — either fighting the blaze or struggling to evacuate through long underground tunnels, emergency officials said.
The blaze broke out at a depth of between 280 feet and 430 feet in the Darasun mine in the Chita region, about 3,000 miles east of Moscow, said Emergency Situations Ministry spokeswoman Yulia Stadnikova.
Of the 64 miners working in the shaft at the time of the blaze, 31 already had been evacuated, said Gennady Savelyev, a spokesman for the ministry’s regional branch.
Thirteen others were working underground to extinguish the blaze and 20 were being evacuated along a three-mile tunnel, he said.
“Authorities are maintaining communications with the miners, and all are in normal condition,” Savelyev said.
RIA-Novosti, citing regional emergency officials, said two miners had reached the surface, leaving 31 still inside. The deputy head of the Chita region emergency situation ministry branch, Mikhail Stukov, said there also were 18 rescuers and an official beneath the surface.
Stukov said in televised comments that authorities believe the fire was caused by negligence during welding work. He said the fire had been contained but not put out.
The mine is operated by London-listed Highland Gold Mining PLC. According to Dow Jones Newswires, the mine has been plagued with operational problems for more than a year, badly delaying the schedule for raising output and being one of the causes of Highland’s net loss last year.
Accidents are common in the mining industry in the former Soviet Union, where mine operators often lack funds to invest in safety equipment and technical upgrades.