An underground collapse at a copper mine in central Kazakhstan trapped seven miners on Monday, authorities stated, noting that rescue efforts were ongoing.
According to Kazakh media, the incident occurred at a depth of approximately 640 meters (2,100 ft).
“There is currently no communication with the workers due to the breakage of cables,” the mine operator, Kazakhmys, said in a statement issued on Monday, February 17, 2025.
It did not specify when the accident occurred but did state that it occurred at the company’s “Zhomart” facility, which opened in 2006 in central Ulytau.
The Central Asian country’s emergency ministry announced that rescuers had been dispatched, including from the adjacent Karaganda region.
Kazakhmys is Kazakhstan’s top copper producer.
Mining accidents are widespread in the former Soviet Union, despite government efforts to improve safety.
In October 2023, a fire at an ArcelorMittal mine in the Karaganda district killed 46 people, making it Kazakhstan’s greatest mining accident in history.
