At least 27 workers were killed in a gold mine fire in Peru, the country’s worst mining catastrophe in decades.
Two people were rescued from the fire, according to officials, but no more survivors are expected to be recovered.
The fire is believed to have been started by an electrical short-circuit inside the La Esperanza mine in the Arequipa region.
According to local media, 30 expert officers are on their way to the scene to secure the mine before beginning recovery work.
Local media images and video showed flames and smoke pouring from the hillside spot.
The fire is believed to have started 80 to 100 meters (330 feet) below the surface, where miners were working.
The regional government noted in a statement that the closest police station was 90 minutes away from the rural site and many hours distant from the nearest metropolis, hindering emergency response.
According to the Peruvian newspaper La Repblica, families of the missing miners came to the location Sunday morning but were denied entrance.
The mining firm, Yanaquihua, a modest enterprise, has yet to comment on the accident.
Peru is one of the world’s top gold producers, extracting more than 100 tonnes per year, accounting for roughly 4% of the global yearly supply.
While the fire is thought to be the deadliest accident in years, hundreds of deaths in the country’s mining industry are not unusual – usually spaced out over numerous lesser occurrences.
