Over 50-meter hole drilled to reach rock collapse site at Amur region mine - Russian emergencies ministry

BLAGOVESHCHENSK. March 21 (Interfax) - Active efforts, during which a hole more than 50 meters long has been drilled, are continuing in Russia's Amur region to rescue the workers trapped in a section of the Pioner mine, the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry said.

"Places seeing an inflow of pulp have been filled with earth. Measures are underway to remove silt from the mine's section after pumping out water from it. A total of 160 cubic meters were removed overnight. An exploratory hole is being drilled from the surface to reach the mine's zero level. Fifty-three meters have been drilled using enhanced-capacity drilling equipment," the ministry said.

Another drilling device to make a second hole was delivered from Blagoveshchensk last night.

The regional government's press service said there are sufficient forces and equipment to conduct the search and rescue operation at the Pioner mine.

"A total of 223 people, of which 111 are Emergency Situations Ministry specialists and the remaining are mine staff, are taking part in the rescue operation," the press service said.

There is still no contact with the trapped miners.

Rock collapsed at a depth of more than 100 meters at the Pioner gold mine on March 18, trapping 13 miners inside. Several rescue teams, including from neighboring regions and the Kemerovo region, are working at the site. Specialists have managed to clear the shafts to enable the supply of fresh air. The effort is hindered by the inflow of ground waters.