Turkish energy minister says rescue efforts ongoing for trapped miners in eastern area

(MENAFN) Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar stated on Wednesday that all efforts are concentrated on rescuing miners who are trapped in a landslide at a mining site in the eastern Erzincan province of Turkey.

Following an onsite evaluation at the Copler mining site in the district of Ilic, where a landslide struck a gold mine, trapping at least nine workers underground, Bayraktar addressed reporters, stating that "while our immediate priority is the rescue of our fellow workers, we are simultaneously probing the root causes of the landslide and any operational negligence."

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families in the aftermath of this terrible catastrophe," he further mentioned.

An investigation into the cause and potential operational faults is currently underway, with the findings set to be transparently shared with the public, Bayraktar announced.

The mining site, operational since 2004 and managed by the private firm Anagold Mining, obtained additional environmental permits in 2021, according to Bayraktar.

He mentioned ongoing investigations into any events that may have occurred since the site's last inspection in August of the previous year, emphasizing that no evidence of a cause for a landslide similar to the recent incident was identified during that inspection.

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