Rescuers Battle Rubble and Water in Race to Save 13 Trapped Russian Miners

A view shows trucks during search and rescue operations at the Pioneer gold mine, where miners were trapped after a rock fall, in the Amur Region, Russia, on March 19, 2024. Russian Emergencies Ministry/Handout via Reuters

MOSCOW—Rescuers in Russia’s far east battled rubble and water on Wednesday in an attempt to save 13 miners who have been trapped 120 metres (390 feet) underground in a gold mine for nearly two days.

The miners were trapped on Monday by a rock fall at the Pioneer gold mine. The mine, one of Russia’s largest, is located in the Amur region which borders China, about 5,300 km (3,300 miles) east of Moscow.