This photograph taken on October 28, 2023, shows a view of the Kostyenko coal mine, in Karaganda. (Photo by STRINGER / AFP)
Almaty, Kazakhstan: An underground collapse at a copper mine in central Kazakhstan on Monday trapped seven workers, authorities said, adding that rescue operations were underway.
The incident occurred at a depth of around 640 metres (2,100 feet), Kazakh media reported.
"Due to the breakage of cables, at the moment, there is no communication with the workers," the mine operator, Kazakhmys, said in a statement.
It did not say when the incident took place, but noted it was at the company's "Zhomart" facility -- opened in 2006 in the central Ulytau region.
Rescuers have been dispatched, including from the neighbouring Karaganda region, the Central Asian country's emergencies ministry said.
Kazakhmys is Kazakhstan's largest copper producer.
Mining incidents are common in the ex-Soviet country, despite government attempts to improve safety.
In October 2023, a fire at an ArcelorMittal mine in the Karaganda region killed 46 people in the worst mining disaster in Kazakhstan's history.
