Search for survivors called off after Russian gold mine accident

Moscow [Russia], April 2: Two weeks after an accident at one of Russia's largest gold mines, the search for survivors was called off on Monday.
Volunteers stopped trying to find people trapped in the Pionier gold mine after the company said there was no hope of finding the men trapped after the disaster in the Far Eastern region of Amur, some 5,300 kilometres east of Moscow.
The families of the 13 lost miners are to receive compensation amounting to a year's income, Interfax news agency reported on Monday according to the company.
After the accident which occurred on March 18, specialists drilled a 70-metre tunnel to reach the men who were buried at a depth of around 120 metres.
However, the search ended due to the danger it presented to the rescue teams, as the section of the mine where the miners could be located is filled with rock and water, the company said.
"The lives of the rescue workers and the miners involved in the work are at fatal risk," the company said.
No contact was made to the people who are missing, according to the company.
The search operation involved more than 200 rescue workers at times, including some brought in from other regions of Russia.
Pionier is one of the largest gold mines in Russia and the world.
Some 119,000 ounces (3,370 tonnes) of gold were extracted there in 2020, according to operator Petropavlovsk.
Source: Qatar Tribune