Following Tuesday’s huge landslide, authorities estimate nine miners are now trapped at the Ilic gold mine in Erzincan (northeast). Some will be kept in a container, in a car, and others in a truck, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said, assuring that rescue operations were continuing. “Our rescue operations continue uninterrupted,” he added. 400 rescuers will be mobilized.
Cyanide fumes and dirty terrain reduce miners’ chances of survival and complicate rescue efforts, said Basaran Aksu of the Independent Union of Mineworkers. “If a construction vehicle had entered the area, it would have sunk into the mud. There is also a risk of chemical asphyxiation for rescuers,” he explained; He added: “This situation significantly reduces the chances of survival of those caught in the trap and makes it difficult for them to escape. It seems impossible that we can find them quickly.”
Possible environmental disaster
This hill, formed by a pile of earth removed from the mine, rolled like a lava flow into a valley in the area on Tuesday, covering a large area.
Experts say the soil may contain cyanide, used in gold mining, and poses a risk of contaminating the region and the Euphrates, the great river that flows through Turkey, Syria and Iraq.
The Environment Ministry announced on Wednesday new measures to “prevent materials from entering the Euphrates” and confirmed that no pollution had yet been found in the river.
The investigation will be long
“Not only our nature and resources are being destroyed, but also our lives,” and the Ilic gold mine “must be closed immediately,” the Union of Chambers of Architects and Engineers of Turkey said in a statement. “Millions of tons of toxic waste flow into the Euphrates. Closing the floodgates on the rivers is not enough. Close the mine,” the Ilić Environment and Nature Platform also responded.
The Turkish Chamber of Mining Engineers, for its part, condemned the “chain of negligence” that led to a “major environmental disaster.”
Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, who arrived in the region after cutting short an official visit to Egypt where he was accompanying Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said the mine’s last inspection took place in August. “We are investigating the causes of the accident. It will take time,” he admitted.
The mine employs 667 miners and already made headlines in 2022 after a cyanide leak prompted authorities to briefly suspend operations. It reopened after paying a fine, sparking opposition protests. “Despite the cyanide leak, the mine’s permit was not revoked and its capacity was increased. The company received legal protection. All this paved the way for disaster,” the Turkish Medical Association criticized on Tuesday.
Source: Le Parisien
I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.
