ERZÎNGAN - The body of the last worker buried underground in the mine disaster in Licik has been found.

 

9 workers were trapped underground as a result of the leach pile slipping at the Çöpler Gold Mine, operated by Anagold Madencilik, in the Licik (İliç) district of Erzîngan (Erzincan) on February 13. The bodies of two workers were found on April 5 and April 19, the bodies of two workers were found on May 4, and the bodies of one more worker were found on June 4. 116 days after the leach slide, the dead bodies of 3 more workers were found. As a result of the work carried out yesterday, the body of the last worker buried underground was found.

 

It was learned that the identity of the workers will be determined as a result of DNA testing. 

 

 

WHAT HAPPENED IN LICIK?

 

A capacity increase request was made for Çöpler Gold Mine in 2014 and 2021, which is a partnership between Anagold Mining Company, Çalık Holding and SSR Mining. Both requests were found appropriate and approved by the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization. On February 13, at 14.28 pm, the leach pile slid in the mine. With the last capacity increase, the leach pile consisted of 34 steps, each reaching 8 meters. Its height exceeded 250 meters. 

 

Nine workers were trapped under the leach pile. Mine workers who spoke to journalists that day said that they reported the cracks in the leach pile to their superiors, but no precautions were taken. They also argued that what happened was both engineering error and negligence. On February 17, the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change canceled the mine's environmental permits and license. Allegations of cyanide leaks were categorically denied. In addition, the ministry said that 400 thousand trucks were needed to remove the pile.