Fire in gold-mining complex traps 51 workers 300 meters under the ground

A fire broke out in the central mine of the gold-mining complex located in the Chita region (Siberia) at 08:15 a.m. today. The vertical shaft of the mine about eight meters in diameter is ablaze at the depth of about 300 meters.

There were 64 people in the mine when the fire started. Nineteen miners were evacuated immediately. Several other workers went out from under the ground later. Thirty-one people have been evacuated from the burning gold mine as of 13:00 p.m. Moscow time.

There is no information about victims yet. “The miners are 285 meters under the ground. We do not know if someone has been killed in the fire, but  it is highly possible that there will be victims,” an operator of the gold mining complex said.

The accident has been classified as the highest degree fire. According to preliminary information, the fire broke out due to the careless handling of welding activities in the mine.