Minister at İliç gold mine: 'We would need at least 400,000 trucks if we were to remove it'
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar made a statement regarding the collapse at the heap leach field in the Çöpler Gold Mine owned by Anagold Mining in İliç, Erzincan.
Search and rescue operations are ongoing for the nine workers trapped under the collapsed heap leach on February 13th.
Speaking to journalists after his inspections in the region, Minister Bayraktar said, "There is a mass of 10 million cubic meters of soil. If we had the means and attempted to remove it today, we would need at least 400,000 trucks."
Bayraktar, stating that the risk of landslide continues, mentioned that search and rescue operations are ongoing at the points where it is believed that the workers are located.
He said, "We see a weakness within the management level of the company here. Our inspectors are continuing their investigations."
About Anagold Mining
Anagold Mining Industry and Trade Joint Stock Company was established in Ankara in 2000 under the name "Çukurdere Mining Industry and Trade Limited Company." Initially, the company started its mining activities as a subsidiary of Anatolia Minerals Development Limited, headquartered in Denver, USA, and traded on the Canadian stock exchange. Anatolia Minerals, in partnership with Avoca Resources Limited, Australia's third-largest gold producer, merged to form Alacer Gold Corporation.
In 2009, Anagold Mining was established as a joint venture between Çalık Holding's Lidya Mining, led by Berat Albayrak as CEO, and Alacer Gold, owned by Anatolia Minerals.
Alacer Gold announced its merger with Canadian-based mining company SSR Mining in 2020. It was announced that the new entity resulting from the merger would continue its operations under the name "SSR Mining."
Since 2010, Anagold has been operating the Çöpler Gold Mine in İliç, Erzincan, with 80% ownership belonging to SSR Mining and 20% to Lidya Mining.
(AS/PE)