A worker born in 1977 died following a rock collapse at a mine in the Oymyakon area of the Republic of Yakutia in northeastern Russia.

The Republic’s Prosecutor’s Office reported the incident and is currently investigating the site, which is operated by a gold mining company. After the investigation, the Prosecutor’s Office will assess compliance with industrial safety and worker protection laws, among other issues.

The regional emergency directorate earlier announced that 55 people were inside the mine at the time of the rock collapse and that evacuation to the surface was underway. A rescue unit from the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations and a team from the mine arrived at the scene. Mining operations have been suspended pending investigation and clarification of the accident’s causes.

The Republic of Yakutia is one of the Russian Federation’s entities and is the largest region in the country by area, as well as the largest administrative territorial unit in the world. Its area exceeds that of Argentina and is almost twice the size of Mongolia. The republic has a population of one million, making it one of the least densely populated areas in Russia.

Yakutia is one of the coldest regions in the world, hosting the North Hemisphere’s cold pole. At the same time, it has high economic potential due to its natural resources: it accounts for 25% of the world’s diamond production despite exploration covering only 5% of its area, along with oil, natural gas, coal, gold, and vast forests.