Workers at a gold mine in Turkey are believed trapped underground

By ANDREW WILKS
Associated Press

ISTANBUL (AP) — Nine workers are believed to be trapped underground after a landslide hit a gold mine in eastern Turkey. Officials say the landslide at the Copler mine happened at 2:30 p.m. near the town of Ilic in Turkey’s mountainous Erzincan province. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said nine workers had not been heard from since the landslide struck. He added that 400 search and rescue personnel were at the site. Footage seemingly shot by a worker nearby showed a massive wave of earth rushing down a gully, engulfing everything in its path. Turkey has a poor mine safety record. In 2022, an explosion at the Amasra coal mine on the Black Sea coast killed 41 workers.