Turkish authorities said on Tuesday that at least nine people were trapped in a gold mine in Erzincan province, northwestern Turkey, after a pile of earth that may be contaminated with cyanide slipped.
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“There is no news about nine minors. The rescue operation is underway with a team of 400 people,” Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya told public broadcaster TRT Haber.
“This is the mound slide that was formed from a pile of dirt that was removed from the mine,” the minister said.
The Miners' Union warned that the collapsed ground may contain cyanide, which is used to extract gold.
“Rescuing the miners may take a long time because the soil contains cyanide,” said Basaran Aksu of the Bagemese Madin Ace union.
Hamza Aydudu, Erzincan Governor, said: “There is no doubt that there is a leak at the moment in the Euphrates River,” which is the river that crosses Erzincan province.
For its part, the Ministry of Environment announced measures to “prevent the flow of materials into the Euphrates River.”
Folds in seconds
According to the first pictures broadcast by Turkish media, a pile of earth collapsed in a few seconds and fell like a lava flow into the valley, covering a large area.
Mr Yerlikaya said the slide concerned “a block of land measuring 8 to 10 acres” which then extended to more than “100 dunams”.
“We have arranged for night lighting. We have only one wish: to be able to bring good news to their families, and our prayers are in that direction,” he added.
The state disaster management agency AFAD announced that the landslide occurred around 2 p.m. local time (11 a.m. GMT) in Ilic, Erzincan province, and rescue teams were deployed from nearby towns.
It is expected that the Ministers of Interior and Energy will be there, according to the private Turkish channel NTV.
The company responsible for the Anagold gold mine said: “We will mobilize all our resources to shed light on the causes of this accident.”
This mine employs 667 miners and made headlines in 2022 after a cyanide leak, prompting authorities to briefly suspend its operations.
However, it was reopened after the fine was paid, sparking protests from the Turkish opposition.
“Despite the cyanide leak, the mine’s license was not withdrawn and its capacity was increased. The company benefited from legal protection (…). “All this paved the way for a disaster,” the Turkish Medical Association responded.
Landslides or mine collapses are relatively common in certain areas of Turkey.
42 miners were killed in an explosion that occurred in 2022 in Amasra, in the north of the country.
