Rockfall in gold mine

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Russian civil protection workers in front of an entrance to the collapsed gold mine in the Amur region.(Bild: Russia Emergency Situations Ministry Press Service via AP)

In the Amur region of eastern Russia, 13 miners were trapped by a rockslide in a gold mine on Monday. The miners were trapped at a depth of around 125 meters, Russian news agencies reported on Tuesday.

According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, communication with the miners is being restored and the mechanical evacuation of the access tunnel is being carried out. President Vladimir Putin has issued instructions to do everything possible to rescue the men, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

Pictures published by the Ministry of Emergency Situations show helicopters on a snow-covered landing pad and a convoy of rescue workers near the accident site, the "Pioneer Mine" near the Chinese border, one of Russia's largest gold mines.

Russian civil protection workers in front of an entrance to the collapsed gold mine in the Amur region.(Bild: Russia Emergency Situations Ministry Press Service via AP)

Frequent accidents due to lax safety regulations
Accidents occur quite frequently in Russian mines, as safety regulations are often not adhered to. According to local authorities, criminal proceedings have already been initiated for violating safety regulations.