Dam collapse in Siberia results in 15 casualties

At least 15 workers died after a dam collapsed flooding a gold mine in Siberia, Russia.

The gold mine is located in the Krasnoyarsk district of Russia, 160 kilometers south of Krasnoyarsk city, 

The dam that is constructed on the Seiba river, collapsed on October 19, 2019, due to high precipitation that struck the region. The structure's failure caused intense flooding in the mine damaging 2 dormitories in the temporary shelters where workers lived. At least 80 people were in the facility at the time of the failure.

Vladimir Putin, the President o Russia, ordered authorities to derive the cause of the failure and provide help to all the people affected.

Rescue operations were immediately launched in search of survivors. Rescue teams used boats to scan the area while divers were employed to search underwater.

At first, 13 workers were considered missing but 7 of them were found alive, according to a recent report. In total, 14 workers were hospitalized, 3 of them in critical condition. 

An investigation about the causes of the collapse has been launched. According to Interfax, a major news agency in Russia, the dam facility had not permit from Russia's Environmental, Industrial and Nuclear Supervision Service and was practically illegal.

Yuri Lapshin, the head of the Krasnoyarsk regional government, harshly criticized the structure's integrity. "The hydro-technical facility was self-constructed and, I believe, all rules I can and cannot think of were violated," he stated.

Kuragino, a nearby village, was evacuated as the water level on the Seiba River was raised and caused partial flooding of the surrounding areas.

According to a report, Russia is the 3^rd most gold-producing country worldwide. Gold mining mostly derives from professional industrial companies, however, alluvial mining can be conducted by smaller firms that may not comply with safety regulations.

Click the video below to watch aerial footage from the site.