Rescuers seek Russia gold mine disaster survivors

MOSCOW - Rescuers struggled today to reach more than 20 Russian miners still missing underground more than a day and a half after a fire broke out at their gold mine in Eastern Siberia.

Rescue workers recovered the bodies of at least 11 miners. Smoke and high temperatures hindered the search for the rest, and rescuers did not know if those missing were alive or dead.

Distraught relatives waited outside the Darasun mine, in a remote area near the Chinese border. "My brother is down there," mine worker Nikolai Bronnikov told Rossiya television, then turned away from the camera in tears.

A spokesman for Russia's Emergencies Ministry said the fire had been localised but not put out in the central shaft of the Darasun complex, owned by London-listed Highland Gold.

"There is still hope of finding survivors," he said.

Thirty-three men were trapped when welding work sparked the fire deep underground yesterday but there was confusion over the exact number of dead found.

Highland Gold Mining initially said 12 bodies had been recovered but then changed the figure to 11, matching information given by the Emergencies Ministry.

The environmental watchdog Rosprirodnadzor said it would investigate the Anglo-Russian company's activities.

It later ordered urgent safety inspections of mines operated by the nation's top gold producer, Polyus Gold, and several coal miners, Interfax news agency said.

Highland Gold shares plunged 11 per cent on Friday on the London Stock Exchange to £1.53, following losses of 4.5 per cent the day before.

Polyus shares fell 1.82 per cent to 1134.0 roubles per share on Russia's MICEX exchange.

Russian media said the miners had breathing devices, which should allow them to hold out for several hours, and air pumped into the shaft improved the chances of survival. Rosprirodnadzor head Oleg Mitvol said yesterday technical violations have been found not only on the Darasun complex, but in all other Highland Gold Mining assets in Russia.

The Darasun mine is the smaller of Highland Gold's two operational gold mines in Russia. The complex produced 11,761 ounces of gold in the first half of this year, around 13 per cent of the company's total production.

Highland Gold is one-fifth owned by Canada's Barrick Gold, the world's largest gold miner. Fleming Family & Partners and its affiliates hold 19.5 per cent and the company's Anglo-Russian management team a further 12.5 per cent.

Tucked in the desolate foothills of Chita, the Darasun mine is Russia's oldest hard-rock gold deposit with proven reserves of 31 tonnes and estimated resources of 96 tonnes.

- REUTERS