Nighttime alarm in Finland. Evacuation from Kittilä gold mine
Dramatic events unfolded overnight from Monday to Tuesday in the underground corridor of Agnico Eagle gold mine located in Finland. A machine utilized for mining suddenly caught fire. Concurrent with the fire, there were 65 miners situated underground.
10:56 AM EST, December 12, 2023
The rescue operation took place at night in the mine in Kittilä, a Finnish Lapland region located in the northern part of the country. An accident took place at this mining facility where gold was extracted.
A digging machine caught fire underground. The rescue services were notified just before midnight, leading to an overnight evacuation of the 65 individuals from the underground tunnels.
As reported by the daily newspaper "Iltalehti", Mining Manager Mikko Keränen from Agnico Eagle stated that only two individuals from the underground crew were injured - miners who were directly exposed to the smoke emanating from the burning digger. They were provided with immediate medical assistance.
Keränen mentioned that there are special shelters within the mine intended for use during a fire situation. This protocol was adhered to during the nighttime rescue operation, which likely prevented more serious injuries among the crew.
Fire in Kittilä's Finnish Gold Mine: Workers Evacuated
The evacuation process was carried out smoothly. The assessment of damages and determination of the fire cause have been underway since morning. Additionally, steps are being taken to restore the mine's operations.
Keränen stated that the fire is unlikely to disrupt gold production. "We are ventilating the corridors. The surface-located concentrator, or gold factory, continues to produce," said the mine representative.
Keränen expressed relief that the incident didn't result in any serious injuries. The mine regularly conducts drills designed to prepare the crew for potential accidents. The most recent exercise was conducted last week.
In response to the accident, the mine's own rescue units swung into action immediately. The rescue operation also comprised units from Kittilä and Sirka, as well as several first aid units.
Finland's gold resources are comparable to those of Klondike and Alaska. The ore deposit was discovered accidentally in 1980 when Finnish skier Pentti Jamback stumbled upon an ore vein in Laiva.
Despite the abundance of gold, Finland showed limited interest in exploiting this resource over the years. It sold mining rights to companies from Sweden, Canada, Australia, and South Africa. These entities continue to discover increasing amounts of ore and have recently found diamonds in the far north of the country.
