Turkey: Nine miners missing after landslide in eastern region

Emergency services have been deployed to assist the rescue operations.

At least nine people have been trapped underground in a gold mine, after a massive landslide in eastern Turkey.

The landslide hit the Copler mine at around 2.30 p.m. located close by the town Ilic, a mountainous region in Erzincan province. Footage shows a wave of earth going down a gully, sweeping everything in its path.

It is an alarming situation as there are fears, cyanide, a deadly chemical, could be stored in the mine, spreading and contaminating the site.

According to Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, “it is thought that the nine workers are buried under the ground,” as authorities have not heard anything since the landslide occurred.

Hundreds of emergency personnel have been mobilised to assist with search and rescue operations. Following a cyanide leak in 2022, environmental activists and local politicians attempted to shut down the open pit mine.

The facility closed for a few months before reopening after its operator paid a fine, sparking outrage among Turkey's opposition parties.