18 workers are trapped in a gold mine collapse in the northwest China’s Xinjiang region.
The accident happened on Saturday (December 24) afternoon at a gold mine in Inning County.
According to a report by Al Jazeera, 40 workers were working in the mine at the time of the collapse. 22 of them have been brought out. However, 18 people are still trapped.
According to the Chinese media Xinhua, the operation is underway to rescue the remaining workers.
China is the world’s largest gold producer. The country has retained the top position in gold extraction for 10 consecutive years. Last year the country extracted 370 tonnes of gold.
Such incidents are reported to be frequent despite recent improvements in the country’s mine safety.
In September last year, 19 miners trapped underground after a coal mine collapse in the country’s northwestern province of Qinghai were found dead after a lengthy search.
In addition, in December 2021, two workers were killed and 20 workers rescued alive from a flooded coal mine in Shaanxi Province.