Ankara, Turkey - The Turkish government has closed down a gold mine following a devastating landslide that occurred on Tuesday and left nine workers still missing.
Environmental groups and industry associations have been urging for the controversial mine to be shut down since the landslide took place. On Saturday, the Environment Ministry announced that it was revoking the mine's "environmental permit," which is necessary for its operation.
According to a preliminary report by experts, the mine's managers failed to take necessary precautionary measures despite being aware of cracks in the mine's slag heap. Six mine managers were arrested on Friday, with two others being released under certain conditions. The mine, owned by Anagold and operated by SSR Mining and Turkish company Lidya, had previously been closed for a few months in 2022 due to a cyanide leak.
Efforts to find the missing workers have been impeded by the risk of further landslides. The cleanup process is also challenging, as there is a possibility of cyanide contaminating the region, which serves as a watershed for the Euphrates River.